Henderson County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.6 | 119,230 people · 80th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Henderson County, NC falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.6 — 1858th 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 80th of 100 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Henderson County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 65.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 65.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 72
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 56
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 52
Homeownership Rate 51
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Community Vulnerability 60.0
Uninsured Rate 78
Disability Rate 42
Employment & Wages 48.4
Unemployment Rate 16
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 38
Income & Poverty 33.2
Poverty Rate 25
Income vs. State Median 36
Child Poverty Rate 38
Debt & Delinquency 26.1
Debt in Collections 25
Medical Debt 31
Student Loan Delinquency 34
Auto Loan Delinquency 29
Credit Card Delinquency 27
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 11

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Henderson County
Henderson County, NC 46.6 Normal —
Rutherford County, NC 64.5 Elevated +17.9
Buncombe County, NC 51.1 Elevated +4.6
Transylvania County, NC 50.8 Elevated +4.3
Haywood County, NC 50.5 Elevated +3.9
Polk County, NC 49.1 Normal +2.5
Greenville County, SC 45.1 Normal -1.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Henderson County
Cass County, MI 46.6 Normal +0.1
Kent County, RI 46.7 Normal +0.1
Johnston County, NC 46.4 Normal -0.2
Ulster County, NY 46.8 Normal +0.2
Marion County, WV 46.8 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Henderson 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 Henderson 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 Henderson County, North Carolina?

    Henderson County has a County Distress Index score of 46.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,858th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 80th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Henderson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Henderson County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 65.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Henderson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Henderson County (46.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Rutherford County, NC (64.5); Buncombe County, NC (51.1); Transylvania County, NC (50.8).

  • 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 Henderson County?

    Henderson County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 119,230 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.