Graham County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.6 | 8,052 people · 38th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Graham County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.6 — 862nd 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 38th of 100 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Graham County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 79.1 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 79.1
Uninsured Rate 84
Disability Rate 74
Income & Poverty 76.6
Poverty Rate 72
Income vs. State Median 83
Child Poverty Rate 75
Debt & Delinquency 66.7
Debt in Collections 63
Medical Debt 74
Student Loan Delinquency 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 89
Credit Card Delinquency 82
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 22
Employment & Wages 42.1
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 29
Business Formation Rate 53
Housing Cost Burden 33.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 56
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 39
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 16
Rent-to-Income Ratio 53

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Graham County
Graham County, NC 59.6 Elevated —
Monroe County, TN 62.7 Elevated +3.1
Cherokee County, NC 56.3 Elevated -3.3
Swain County, NC 55.1 Elevated -4.5
Macon County, NC 52.9 Elevated -6.8
Blount County, TN 44.6 Normal -15.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Graham County
Mahnomen County, MN 59.7 Elevated +0.1
San Saba County, TX 59.7 Elevated +0.1
Leslie County, KY 59.7 Elevated +0.1
Warren County, GA 59.4 Elevated -0.3
Pickett County, TN 60.0 Elevated +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Graham 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 Graham 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 Graham County, North Carolina?

    Graham County has a County Distress Index score of 59.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 862nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 38th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Graham County?

    The primary driver of distress in Graham County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 79.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Graham County compare to neighboring counties?

    Graham County (59.6) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Monroe County, TN (62.7); Cherokee County, NC (56.3); Swain County, NC (55.1).

  • 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 Graham County?

    Graham County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 8,052 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.