Caldwell County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.5 | 80,574 people · 45th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Caldwell County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.5 — 1039th 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 45th of 100 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Caldwell County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 72.9 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 72.9
Uninsured Rate 73
Disability Rate 73
Employment & Wages 57.1
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 58
Business Formation Rate 72
Income & Poverty 56.1
Poverty Rate 50
Income vs. State Median 67
Child Poverty Rate 51
Debt & Delinquency 55.9
Debt in Collections 70
Medical Debt 63
Student Loan Delinquency 31
Auto Loan Delinquency 75
Credit Card Delinquency 76
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 20
Housing Cost Burden 45.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 30
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 25
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 50
Homeownership Rate 52
Rent-to-Income Ratio 69

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Caldwell County
Caldwell County, NC 57.5 Elevated —
Burke County, NC 62.7 Elevated +5.2
Wilkes County, NC 58.4 Elevated +0.9
Avery County, NC 54.0 Elevated -3.5
Watauga County, NC 49.3 Normal -8.2
Alexander County, NC 48.2 Normal -9.3
Catawba County, NC 45.0 Normal -12.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Caldwell County
Smith County, TX 57.5 Elevated -0.0
Howard County, IN 57.5 Elevated +0.0
Aroostook County, ME 57.4 Elevated -0.1
Pulaski County, KY 57.4 Elevated -0.1
Anderson County, TN 57.3 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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 Caldwell County, North Carolina?

    Caldwell County has a County Distress Index score of 57.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,039th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 45th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Caldwell County?

    The primary driver of distress in Caldwell County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 72.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Caldwell County compare to neighboring counties?

    Caldwell County (57.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Burke County, NC (62.7); Wilkes County, NC (58.4); Avery County, NC (54.0).

  • 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 Caldwell County?

    Caldwell County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 80,574 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.