Chatham County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Healthy · 32.8 | 81,624 people · 97th most distressed in North Carolina
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Chatham County, NC ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 32.8 — 2767th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing costs consume a moderate share of household income. Within North Carolina, it ranks 97th of 100 counties. It scores lower than all 8 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Chatham County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 54.0 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 54.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 70
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 77
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 52
Homeownership Rate 17
Rent-to-Income Ratio 53
Employment & Wages 47.3
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 96
Business Formation Rate 23
Community Vulnerability 34.7
Uninsured Rate 55
Disability Rate 15
Debt & Delinquency 18.2
Debt in Collections 14
Medical Debt 19
Student Loan Delinquency 25
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 23
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 9
Income & Poverty 9.8
Poverty Rate 9
Income vs. State Median 3
Child Poverty Rate 17

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Chatham County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Chatham County
Chatham County, NC 32.8 Healthy —
Randolph County, NC 61.0 Elevated +28.3
Lee County, NC 54.5 Elevated +21.8
Harnett County, NC 52.5 Elevated +19.7
Alamance County, NC 51.5 Elevated +18.7
Durham County, NC 42.9 Normal +10.1
Moore County, NC 38.2 Normal +5.4
Orange County, NC 34.1 Healthy +1.4
Wake County, NC 33.6 Healthy +0.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Chatham County
Johnson County, IN 32.7 Healthy -0.1
Windsor County, VT 32.7 Healthy -0.1
Frederick County, VA 32.7 Healthy -0.1
Cache County, UT 32.9 Healthy +0.1
Calvert County, MD 32.6 Healthy -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Chatham 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 Chatham 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 Chatham County, North Carolina?

    Chatham County has a County Distress Index score of 32.8 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,767th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 97th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Chatham County?

    The primary driver of distress in Chatham County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 54.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Chatham County compare to neighboring counties?

    Chatham County (32.8) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Randolph County, NC (61.0); Lee County, NC (54.5); Harnett County, NC (52.5).

  • 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 Chatham County?

    Chatham County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 81,624 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.