Bertie County, North Carolina
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Bertie County. Population: 16,922 (small).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Bertie County, NC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 77.1 — 28th 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 North Carolina, it ranks 2nd of 100 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Bertie County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Income & Poverty
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
Housing Cost Burden
How Bertie County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bertie County, NC | 77.1 | Serious Stress | — |
| Halifax County, NC | 77.3 | Serious Stress | +0.1 |
| Hertford County, NC | 74.4 | Serious Stress | -2.7 |
| Northampton County, NC | 72.0 | Serious Stress | -5.1 |
| Washington County, NC | 71.6 | Serious Stress | -5.5 |
| Martin County, NC | 70.8 | Serious Stress | -6.3 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (small) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yazoo County, MS | 77.1 | Serious Stress | -0.0 |
| Adair County, OK | 77.2 | Serious Stress | +0.0 |
| Halifax County, NC | 77.3 | Serious Stress | +0.1 |
| Hardee County, FL | 77.3 | Serious Stress | +0.2 |
| Ripley County, MO | 77.0 | Serious Stress | -0.2 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Bertie County as a CSV file.
Resources
Bertie County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Bertie County, North Carolina?
Bertie County has a County Distress Index score of 77.1 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 28th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in North Carolina out of 100 counties.
What drives financial distress in Bertie County?
The primary driver of distress in Bertie County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 94.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Bertie County compare to neighboring counties?
Bertie County (77.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Halifax County, NC (77.3); Hertford County, NC (74.4); Northampton County, NC (72.0).
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 Bertie County?
Bertie County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 16,922 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.