Franklin County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.7 | 77,001 people · 60th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Franklin County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.7 — 1317th 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 60th of 100 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Franklin County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.5 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 72
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 80
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 77
Homeownership Rate 29
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Debt & Delinquency 61.5
Debt in Collections 64
Medical Debt 58
Student Loan Delinquency 48
Auto Loan Delinquency 72
Credit Card Delinquency 78
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 50
Community Vulnerability 59.6
Uninsured Rate 63
Disability Rate 56
Employment & Wages 48.0
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 93
Business Formation Rate 24
Income & Poverty 28.7
Poverty Rate 32
Income vs. State Median 19
Child Poverty Rate 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Franklin County
Franklin County, NC 53.7 Elevated —
Halifax County, NC 77.3 Serious +23.6
Vance County, NC 76.1 Serious +22.5
Warren County, NC 72.4 Serious +18.7
Nash County, NC 59.7 Elevated +6.0
Granville County, NC 49.3 Normal -4.4
Johnston County, NC 46.4 Normal -7.3
Wake County, NC 33.6 Healthy -20.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Franklin County
Crawford County, AR 53.7 Elevated 0.0
Catoosa County, GA 53.7 Elevated 0.0
Lowndes County, MS 53.6 Elevated -0.1
Jefferson County, TN 53.8 Elevated +0.1
Allen County, OH 53.8 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County, North Carolina?

    Franklin County has a County Distress Index score of 53.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,317th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 60th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Franklin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Franklin County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Franklin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Franklin County (53.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Halifax County, NC (77.3); Vance County, NC (76.1); Warren County, NC (72.4).

  • 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 Franklin County?

    Franklin County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 77,001 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.