Ashe County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.4 | 27,063 people · 71st most distressed in North Carolina

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Ashe County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.4 — 1566th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within North Carolina, it ranks 71st of 100 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ashe County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 77.0 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 77.0
Uninsured Rate 78
Disability Rate 76
Income & Poverty 68.5
Poverty Rate 63
Income vs. State Median 72
Child Poverty Rate 70
Housing Cost Burden 36.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 18
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 29
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 66
Homeownership Rate 27
Rent-to-Income Ratio 43
Employment & Wages 35.0
Unemployment Rate 16
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 31
Business Formation Rate 59
Debt & Delinquency 34.8
Debt in Collections 31
Medical Debt 65
Student Loan Delinquency 47
Auto Loan Delinquency 23
Credit Card Delinquency 40
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 3

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Ashe County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ashe County
Ashe County, NC 50.4 Elevated
Johnson County, TN 63.2 Elevated +12.8
Alleghany County, NC 60.5 Elevated +10.1
Grayson County, VA 59.9 Elevated +9.5
Wilkes County, NC 58.4 Elevated +8.0
Watauga County, NC 49.3 Normal -1.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ashe County
Phelps County, MO 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Kent County, MD 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Orleans County, VT 50.4 Elevated +0.0
Gratiot County, MI 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Macon County, MO 50.4 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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Find Help in Ashe County

Find an Attorney

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

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Ashe County residents at no cost.

Self-Help Resources

NC Courts Self-Help Resources — Foreclosure Official NC court system resources for foreclosure proceedings and borrower rights
NCHFA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs, counselor referrals, and HAF information

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