Forsyth County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.0 | 392,921 people · 61st most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Forsyth County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.0 — 1376th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within North Carolina, it ranks 61st of 100 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Forsyth County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 72.3 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 72.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 74
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 77
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 58
Homeownership Rate 89
Rent-to-Income Ratio 63
Debt & Delinquency 61.1
Debt in Collections 68
Medical Debt 41
Student Loan Delinquency 75
Auto Loan Delinquency 80
Credit Card Delinquency 77
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 25
Income & Poverty 55.0
Poverty Rate 60
Income vs. State Median 31
Child Poverty Rate 74
Community Vulnerability 44.7
Uninsured Rate 68
Disability Rate 21
Employment & Wages 31.6
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 24
Business Formation Rate 25

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Forsyth County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Forsyth County
Forsyth County, NC 53.0 Elevated —
Rockingham County, NC 58.1 Elevated +5.1
Guilford County, NC 54.2 Elevated +1.2
Yadkin County, NC 52.3 Elevated -0.7
Surry County, NC 51.7 Elevated -1.3
Stokes County, NC 51.1 Elevated -1.8
Davidson County, NC 49.0 Normal -4.0
Davie County, NC 40.1 Normal -12.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Forsyth County
Jackson County, MO 52.9 Elevated -0.0
Gwinnett County, GA 52.8 Elevated -0.2
Bernalillo County, NM 52.8 Elevated -0.2
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT 53.4 Elevated +0.4
Union County, NJ 52.5 Elevated -0.5

Download Data

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

Find Help in Forsyth County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Forsyth County.

CREDIT.ORG - NORTH CAROLINA BRANCH
Winston Salem
336-494-6032 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
FINANCIAL PATHWAYS OF THE PIEDMONT
WINSTON SALEM
336-896-1191-1102 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHomeless/Displacement
FINANCIAL PATHWAYS OF THE PIEDMONT - WINSTON-SALEM OFFICE
WINSTON SALEM
336-773-0286-104 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in North Carolina →

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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth County, North Carolina?

    Forsyth County has a County Distress Index score of 53.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,376th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 61st in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Forsyth County?

    The primary driver of distress in Forsyth County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 72.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Forsyth County compare to neighboring counties?

    Forsyth County (53.0) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Rockingham County, NC (58.1); Guilford County, NC (54.2); Yadkin County, NC (52.3).

  • 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 Forsyth County?

    Forsyth County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 392,921 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.