Jackson County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.7 | 44,574 people · 52nd most distressed in North Carolina
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Jackson County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.7 — 1233rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within North Carolina, it ranks 52nd of 100 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jackson County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 69.7 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 69.7
Poverty Rate 73
Income vs. State Median 70
Child Poverty Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 61.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 53
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 85
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 33
Homeownership Rate 89
Rent-to-Income Ratio 48
Community Vulnerability 55.8
Uninsured Rate 89
Disability Rate 23
Debt & Delinquency 44.2
Debt in Collections 55
Medical Debt 43
Student Loan Delinquency 51
Auto Loan Delinquency 34
Credit Card Delinquency 79
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 3
Employment & Wages 42.0
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Business Formation Rate 52

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jackson County
Jackson County, NC 54.7 Elevated —
Swain County, NC 55.1 Elevated +0.5
Macon County, NC 52.9 Elevated -1.8
Rabun County, GA 52.8 Elevated -1.9
Transylvania County, NC 50.8 Elevated -3.9
Haywood County, NC 50.5 Elevated -4.2
Oconee County, SC 48.3 Normal -6.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jackson County
Dade County, GA 54.7 Elevated -0.0
Callahan County, TX 54.7 Elevated +0.0
Lamar County, GA 54.6 Elevated -0.0
Chilton County, AL 54.8 Elevated +0.1
Beltrami County, MN 54.8 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jackson 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 Jackson 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 Jackson County, North Carolina?

    Jackson County has a County Distress Index score of 54.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,233rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 52nd in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jackson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jackson County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 69.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Jackson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jackson County (54.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Swain County, NC (55.1); Macon County, NC (52.9); Rabun County, GA (52.8).

  • 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 Jackson County?

    Jackson County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 44,574 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.