Duplin County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.8 | 49,520 people · 19th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Duplin County, NC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.8 — 391st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within North Carolina, it ranks 19th 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. Duplin County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 82.7 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 82.7
Poverty Rate 85
Income vs. State Median 79
Child Poverty Rate 84
Debt & Delinquency 81.8
Debt in Collections 90
Medical Debt 90
Student Loan Delinquency 99
Auto Loan Delinquency 96
Credit Card Delinquency 92
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 23
Community Vulnerability 75.9
Uninsured Rate 89
Disability Rate 63
Housing Cost Burden 55.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 45
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 42
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 61
Homeownership Rate 71
Rent-to-Income Ratio 60
Employment & Wages 37.7
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 55
Business Formation Rate 31

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Duplin County
Duplin County, NC 66.8 Serious —
Lenoir County, NC 68.2 Serious +1.4
Wayne County, NC 66.9 Serious +0.1
Jones County, NC 64.9 Elevated -1.9
Sampson County, NC 61.0 Elevated -5.8
Onslow County, NC 58.3 Elevated -8.5
Pender County, NC 44.4 Normal -22.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Duplin County
Washington County, ME 66.8 Serious +0.0
Henry County, TN 66.8 Serious +0.0
Cass County, TX 66.8 Serious +0.0
Dawson County, TX 66.8 Serious +0.0
Drew County, AR 66.9 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Duplin 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 Duplin 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 Duplin County, North Carolina?

    Duplin County has a County Distress Index score of 66.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 391st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 19th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Duplin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Duplin County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 82.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Duplin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Duplin County (66.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lenoir County, NC (68.2); Wayne County, NC (66.9); Jones County, NC (64.9).

  • 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 Duplin County?

    Duplin County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 49,520 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.