Walton County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.9 | 106,702 people · 123rd most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Walton County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.9 — 1383rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Georgia, it ranks 123rd of 159 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Walton County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 74.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 74.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 90
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 77
Homeownership Rate 23
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90
Debt & Delinquency 74.0
Debt in Collections 64
Medical Debt 66
Student Loan Delinquency 72
Auto Loan Delinquency 75
Credit Card Delinquency 88
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 78
Community Vulnerability 53.7
Uninsured Rate 74
Disability Rate 33
Employment & Wages 43.7
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 97
Business Formation Rate 8
Income & Poverty 18.6
Poverty Rate 21
Income vs. State Median 5
Child Poverty Rate 29

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Walton County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Walton County
Walton County, GA 52.9 Elevated —
Rockdale County, GA 64.4 Elevated +11.5
Newton County, GA 63.8 Elevated +10.9
Barrow County, GA 54.0 Elevated +1.1
Gwinnett County, GA 52.8 Elevated -0.1
Morgan County, GA 46.0 Normal -6.9
Oconee County, GA 18.3 Healthy -34.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Walton County
Houston County, GA 52.8 Elevated -0.0
Sevier County, TN 52.8 Elevated -0.0
Washington County, VA 52.8 Elevated -0.1
Okaloosa County, FL 53.0 Elevated +0.1
Lafourche Parish, LA 53.0 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Walton County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Walton County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Georgia Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Georgia Lawyer Referral Service 404-527-8700

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Walton County residents at no cost.

Atlanta Legal Aid Society 404-524-5811
Georgia Legal Services Program 1-888-257-4567
Georgia Legal Aid
State Bar of Georgia Lawyer Referral Service 404-527-8700

Self-Help Resources

Georgia Legal Aid — Housing Self-help guides for Georgia foreclosure process, rights, and defenses
DCA Georgia HAF Resources Assistance programs and housing counselor referrals

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Walton County, Georgia?

    Walton County has a County Distress Index score of 52.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,383rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 123rd in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Walton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Walton County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 74.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Walton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Walton County (52.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Rockdale County, GA (64.4); Newton County, GA (63.8); Barrow County, GA (54.0).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Walton County?

    Walton County, Georgia has a population of approximately 106,702 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.