Ware County, Georgia
4× the national median for bankruptcy filing rate — and 61.6× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Glacier County, MT — 7).
Main Findings
Ware County, Georgia ranks 173rd most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a bankruptcy filing rate of 450 — more than double the national median of 126.
- 173rd of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 18th in Georgia.
- A bankruptcy filing rate of 450 (U.S. median 126). Bankruptcy filing rate at the 97th percentile nationally.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 30% — national median 21%, ranked at the 96th percentile.
- Transfer-income dependency at 41% — national median 27%, ranked at the 94th percentile.
- Subprime credit share at 39% — national median 23%, ranked at the 95th percentile.
Unemployment is 3%, near the national median of 4%, while subprime credit share runs at the 95th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
"Ware County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."
"The CDI places this county in the most distressed fifth nationally. The rank is the important geography signal: it compares the county with every other county-equivalent in the release."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
Ware County's disability rate indicator is at the 37th percentile — while every other indicator in the safety_net_buffer domain sits at or above the 85th percentile. The gap stands out against child poverty rate and EITC % of returns. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Waycross.
30% of children under 18 in Ware County live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
The Indicators Behind Ware County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Ware County's value shown alongside GA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Ware | GA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 84 · Rank 410 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 8% | 5% | 65th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 8% | 5% | 92nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 39% | 36% | 23% | 95th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 92 · Rank 102 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 36% | 36% | 23% | 87th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 450 | 255 | 126 | 97th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 90 · Rank 157 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 30% | 24% | 21% | 96th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 24% | 19% | 18% | 84th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 43 · Rank 1,738 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 3% | 4% | 43rd | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 84 · Rank 237 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 30% | 26% | 18% | 90th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 14% | 16% | 16% | 37th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 20% | 18% | 14% | 85th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 41% | 30% | 27% | 94th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 16% | 13% | 8% | 91st | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Ware County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 147-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
WAYCROSS, Ga. — Ware County ranks 173rd among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 79 out of 100 places Ware in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 172 counties rank more distressed. Within Georgia, Ware ranks 18th of 159 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies default & legal as the primary driver in Ware. A bankruptcy filing rate of 450 — more than double the national median of 126.
"Ware County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ware County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Ware County's distress score?
How does Ware County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Ware County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →