Wayne County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.7 | 31,373 people · 53rd most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Wayne County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.7 — 323rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Georgia, it ranks 53rd of 159 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Wayne County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 88.3 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 88.3
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 93
Student Loan Delinquency 93
Auto Loan Delinquency 91
Credit Card Delinquency 84
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 78
Community Vulnerability 80.0
Uninsured Rate 95
Disability Rate 65
Income & Poverty 71.7
Poverty Rate 85
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 85
Housing Cost Burden 61.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 39
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 66
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 61
Homeownership Rate 82
Rent-to-Income Ratio 58
Employment & Wages 37.4
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 42
Business Formation Rate 29

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Wayne County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Wayne County
Wayne County, GA 67.7 Serious —
McIntosh County, GA 69.7 Serious +2.0
Tattnall County, GA 67.1 Serious -0.7
Long County, GA 64.9 Elevated -2.8
Brantley County, GA 63.8 Elevated -3.9
Appling County, GA 58.4 Elevated -9.3
Glynn County, GA 56.5 Elevated -11.2
Pierce County, GA 55.9 Elevated -11.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Wayne County
Jefferson County, GA 67.7 Serious -0.0
Whitley County, KY 67.7 Serious -0.0
Butler County, MO 67.7 Serious -0.1
Las Animas County, CO 67.8 Serious +0.1
Johnston County, OK 67.8 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wayne 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 Wayne 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 Wayne County, Georgia?

    Wayne County has a County Distress Index score of 67.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 323rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 53rd in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wayne County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wayne County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 88.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Wayne County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wayne County (67.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: McIntosh County, GA (69.7); Tattnall County, GA (67.1); Long County, GA (64.9).

  • 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 Wayne County?

    Wayne County, Georgia has a population of approximately 31,373 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.