Burke County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 62.7 | 88,338 people · 28th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Burke County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 62.7 — 637th 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 28th of 100 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Burke 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 74
Disability Rate 80
Income & Poverty 71.4
Poverty Rate 67
Income vs. State Median 69
Child Poverty Rate 78
Debt & Delinquency 63.2
Debt in Collections 69
Medical Debt 78
Student Loan Delinquency 56
Auto Loan Delinquency 63
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 27
Employment & Wages 55.8
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 64
Business Formation Rate 69
Housing Cost Burden 46.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 33
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 50
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 29
Homeownership Rate 48
Rent-to-Income Ratio 71

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Burke County
Burke County, NC 62.7 Elevated —
Rutherford County, NC 64.5 Elevated +1.8
Cleveland County, NC 60.5 Elevated -2.2
Caldwell County, NC 57.5 Elevated -5.2
Avery County, NC 54.0 Elevated -8.7
McDowell County, NC 53.8 Elevated -8.9
Catawba County, NC 45.0 Normal -17.7
Lincoln County, NC 36.9 Normal -25.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Burke County
Coos County, OR 62.6 Elevated -0.1
Allegany County, MD 62.6 Elevated -0.1
Cochise County, AZ 63.0 Elevated +0.2
Pitt County, NC 62.5 Elevated -0.2
Richmond city, VA 62.4 Elevated -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Burke County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Burke County.

OLIVE HILL COMMUNITY ECOMONIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Morganton
828-475-4620x305 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in North Carolina →

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 Burke 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 Burke County, North Carolina?

    Burke County has a County Distress Index score of 62.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 637th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 28th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Burke County?

    The primary driver of distress in Burke County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 77.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Burke County compare to neighboring counties?

    Burke County (62.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Rutherford County, NC (64.5); Cleveland County, NC (60.5); Caldwell County, NC (57.5).

  • 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 Burke County?

    Burke County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 88,338 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.