Wheeler County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.4 | 7,081 people · 87th most distressed in Georgia
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Wheeler County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.4 — 599th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Georgia, it ranks 87th of 159 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Wheeler County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 95.0 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 95.0
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 75.8
Debt in Collections 76
Medical Debt 62
Student Loan Delinquency 85
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 43
Employment & Wages 52.3
Unemployment Rate 13
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 51
Business Formation Rate 92
Community Vulnerability 50.0
Uninsured Rate 95
Disability Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 43.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 22
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 25
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 75
Rent-to-Income Ratio 92

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Wheeler County
Wheeler County, GA 63.4 Elevated —
Telfair County, GA 75.8 Serious +12.4
Dodge County, GA 69.7 Serious +6.3
Treutlen County, GA 69.6 Serious +6.2
Jeff Davis County, GA 67.1 Serious +3.8
Laurens County, GA 62.4 Elevated -1.0
Montgomery County, GA 61.3 Elevated -2.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Wheeler County
Caldwell Parish, LA 63.4 Elevated -0.0
Ozark County, MO 63.5 Elevated +0.1
Presidio County, TX 63.6 Elevated +0.2
Bent County, CO 63.1 Elevated -0.3
Union County, NM 63.1 Elevated -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wheeler 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 Wheeler 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 Wheeler County, Georgia?

    Wheeler County has a County Distress Index score of 63.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 599th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 87th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wheeler County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wheeler County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Wheeler County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wheeler County (63.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Telfair County, GA (75.8); Dodge County, GA (69.7); Treutlen County, GA (69.6).

  • 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 Wheeler County?

    Wheeler County, Georgia has a population of approximately 7,081 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.