Avery County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.0 | 17,561 people · 58th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Avery County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.0 — 1288th 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 58th of 100 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Avery County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 77.3 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 77.3
Uninsured Rate 85
Disability Rate 69
Income & Poverty 68.3
Poverty Rate 67
Income vs. State Median 68
Child Poverty Rate 70
Debt & Delinquency 44.5
Debt in Collections 44
Medical Debt 63
Student Loan Delinquency 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 24
Credit Card Delinquency 62
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Employment & Wages 43.8
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 66
Business Formation Rate 35
Housing Cost Burden 36.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 28
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 42
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 36
Homeownership Rate 19
Rent-to-Income Ratio 55

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Avery County
Avery County, NC 54.0 Elevated —
Carter County, TN 71.4 Serious +17.4
Johnson County, TN 63.2 Elevated +9.2
Burke County, NC 62.7 Elevated +8.7
Caldwell County, NC 57.5 Elevated +3.5
McDowell County, NC 53.8 Elevated -0.2
Watauga County, NC 49.3 Normal -4.7
Mitchell County, NC 48.9 Normal -5.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Avery County
Bandera County, TX 54.0 Elevated -0.0
Lincoln County, KY 54.0 Elevated -0.0
Orleans County, NY 54.0 Elevated +0.0
Leon County, TX 54.0 Elevated +0.0
Taylor County, KY 53.9 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Avery County

Find an Attorney

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

North Carolina State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-662-7407

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Avery County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of North Carolina 1-866-219-5262
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy 704-376-1600
NC Equal Access to Justice Commission
Duke Law School Community Enterprise Clinic

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

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in North Carolina →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Avery County, North Carolina?

    Avery County has a County Distress Index score of 54.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,288th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 58th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Avery County?

    The primary driver of distress in Avery County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 77.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Avery County compare to neighboring counties?

    Avery County (54.0) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Carter County, TN (71.4); Johnson County, TN (63.2); Burke County, NC (62.7).

  • 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 Avery County?

    Avery County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 17,561 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.