Craven County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.2 | 102,391 people · 46th most distressed in North Carolina
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Craven County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.2 — 1070th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within North Carolina, it ranks 46th of 100 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Craven County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 62.8 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 62.8
Poverty Rate 65
Income vs. State Median 44
Child Poverty Rate 80
Debt & Delinquency 62.4
Debt in Collections 72
Medical Debt 92
Student Loan Delinquency 44
Auto Loan Delinquency 71
Credit Card Delinquency 58
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 38
Housing Cost Burden 60.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 71
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 59
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 34
Homeownership Rate 71
Rent-to-Income Ratio 67
Community Vulnerability 53.3
Uninsured Rate 56
Disability Rate 50
Employment & Wages 47.1
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 55
Business Formation Rate 45

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Craven County
Craven County, NC 57.2 Elevated —
Lenoir County, NC 68.2 Serious +11.0
Jones County, NC 64.9 Elevated +7.7
Pitt County, NC 62.5 Elevated +5.3
Beaufort County, NC 61.2 Elevated +4.1
Pamlico County, NC 55.6 Elevated -1.6
Carteret County, NC 46.3 Normal -10.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Craven County
Richland County, OH 57.2 Elevated 0.0
Grayson County, TX 57.2 Elevated -0.0
Medina County, TX 57.3 Elevated +0.1
Androscoggin County, ME 57.3 Elevated +0.1
Sebastian County, AR 57.3 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Craven 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 Craven 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 Craven County, North Carolina?

    Craven County has a County Distress Index score of 57.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,070th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 46th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Craven County?

    The primary driver of distress in Craven County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 62.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Craven County compare to neighboring counties?

    Craven County (57.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lenoir County, NC (68.2); Jones County, NC (64.9); Pitt County, NC (62.5).

  • 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 Craven County?

    Craven County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 102,391 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.