Guilford County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.2 | 549,866 people · 56th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Guilford County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.2 — 1271st 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 56th 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. Guilford County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 76.8 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 76.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 86
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 72
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 58
Homeownership Rate 93
Rent-to-Income Ratio 75
Debt & Delinquency 62.5
Debt in Collections 69
Medical Debt 27
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 85
Credit Card Delinquency 80
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 41
Income & Poverty 50.9
Poverty Rate 60
Income vs. State Median 29
Child Poverty Rate 63
Employment & Wages 43.3
Unemployment Rate 58
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 58
Business Formation Rate 14
Community Vulnerability 37.3
Uninsured Rate 58
Disability Rate 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Guilford County
Guilford County, NC 54.2 Elevated —
Randolph County, NC 61.0 Elevated +6.9
Rockingham County, NC 58.1 Elevated +3.9
Forsyth County, NC 53.0 Elevated -1.2
Alamance County, NC 51.5 Elevated -2.7
Stokes County, NC 51.1 Elevated -3.0
Davidson County, NC 49.0 Normal -5.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Guilford County
Spartanburg County, SC 54.1 Elevated -0.0
Lake County, IN 54.4 Elevated +0.2
Jefferson County, AL 54.5 Elevated +0.4
Manatee County, FL 53.8 Elevated -0.4
St. Clair County, IL 54.6 Elevated +0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Guilford County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Guilford County.

CCCS OF GREATER GREENSBORO
HIGH POINT
336-889-6108 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHomeless/Displacement
CCCS OF GREATER GREENSBORO
Greensboro
336-373-8882 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHomeless/Displacement
GREENSBORO HOUSING COALITION
Greensboro
336-691-9521 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingHomeless/Displacement
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF GREENSBORO D/B/A GREENSBORO HOUSING AUTHORITY
Greensboro
336-303-3059 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF HIGH POINT
High Point
336-887-2661 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 Guilford 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Guilford County, North Carolina?

    Guilford County has a County Distress Index score of 54.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,271st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 56th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Guilford County?

    The primary driver of distress in Guilford County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 76.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Guilford County compare to neighboring counties?

    Guilford County (54.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Randolph County, NC (61.0); Rockingham County, NC (58.1); Forsyth County, NC (53.0).

  • 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 Guilford County?

    Guilford County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 549,866 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.