Clay County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.5 | 11,864 people · 44th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Clay County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.5 — 1035th 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 44th of 100 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Clay County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 76.0 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 76.0
Uninsured Rate 89
Disability Rate 63
Income & Poverty 62.3
Poverty Rate 38
Income vs. State Median 78
Child Poverty Rate 70
Housing Cost Burden 55.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 59
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 80
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 47
Homeownership Rate 20
Rent-to-Income Ratio 70
Debt & Delinquency 48.6
Debt in Collections 37
Medical Debt 69
Student Loan Delinquency 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 52
Credit Card Delinquency 54
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 10
Employment & Wages 45.5
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 62
Business Formation Rate 44

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Clay County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Clay County
Clay County, NC 57.5 Elevated —
Cherokee County, NC 56.3 Elevated -1.2
Macon County, NC 52.9 Elevated -4.6
Rabun County, GA 52.8 Elevated -4.7
Towns County, GA 50.9 Elevated -6.6
Union County, GA 45.7 Normal -11.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Clay County
Franklin County, AR 57.5 Elevated 0.0
Fayette County, OH 57.5 Elevated 0.0
Roane County, WV 57.5 Elevated -0.0
Coos County, NH 57.5 Elevated -0.0
Stephens County, OK 57.5 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Clay 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 Clay 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Clay County has a County Distress Index score of 57.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,035th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 44th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Clay County?

    The primary driver of distress in Clay County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 76.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Clay County compare to neighboring counties?

    Clay County (57.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Cherokee County, NC (56.3); Macon County, NC (52.9); Rabun County, GA (52.8).

  • 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 Clay County?

    Clay County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 11,864 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.