Harnett County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.5 | 141,477 people · 63rd most distressed in North Carolina
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Harnett County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.5 — 1419th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within North Carolina, it ranks 63rd of 100 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Harnett County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 67.4 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 67.4
Debt in Collections 79
Medical Debt 81
Student Loan Delinquency 60
Auto Loan Delinquency 67
Credit Card Delinquency 77
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 41
Community Vulnerability 58.2
Uninsured Rate 69
Disability Rate 47
Housing Cost Burden 53.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 50
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 51
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 72
Rent-to-Income Ratio 10
Employment & Wages 42.0
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 51
Business Formation Rate 26
Income & Poverty 41.5
Poverty Rate 51
Income vs. State Median 21
Child Poverty Rate 52

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Harnett County
Harnett County, NC 52.5 Elevated —
Cumberland County, NC 65.7 Serious +13.3
Sampson County, NC 61.0 Elevated +8.5
Lee County, NC 54.5 Elevated +2.1
Johnston County, NC 46.4 Normal -6.1
Moore County, NC 38.2 Normal -14.3
Wake County, NC 33.6 Healthy -18.9
Chatham County, NC 32.8 Healthy -19.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Harnett County
Niagara County, NY 52.5 Elevated +0.0
Sullivan County, NY 52.4 Elevated -0.1
Georgetown County, SC 52.6 Elevated +0.1
Pittsylvania County, VA 52.3 Elevated -0.1
Broome County, NY 52.3 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Harnett 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 Harnett 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 Harnett County, North Carolina?

    Harnett County has a County Distress Index score of 52.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,419th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 63rd in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Harnett County?

    The primary driver of distress in Harnett County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 67.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Harnett County compare to neighboring counties?

    Harnett County (52.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Cumberland County, NC (65.7); Sampson County, NC (61.0); Lee County, NC (54.5).

  • 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 Harnett County?

    Harnett County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 141,477 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.