Johnston County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.4 | 241,955 people · 81st most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Johnston County, NC falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.4 — 1868th 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 81st of 100 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Johnston County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 66.7 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 66.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 68
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 78
Homeownership Rate 35
Rent-to-Income Ratio 87
Debt & Delinquency 50.6
Debt in Collections 54
Medical Debt 35
Student Loan Delinquency 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 51
Credit Card Delinquency 68
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 50
Community Vulnerability 48.0
Uninsured Rate 72
Disability Rate 24
Employment & Wages 44.1
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 19
Income & Poverty 22.5
Poverty Rate 27
Income vs. State Median 10
Child Poverty Rate 31

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Johnston County
Johnston County, NC 46.4 Normal —
Wilson County, NC 68.3 Serious +21.9
Wayne County, NC 66.9 Serious +20.6
Sampson County, NC 61.0 Elevated +14.6
Nash County, NC 59.7 Elevated +13.3
Franklin County, NC 53.7 Elevated +7.3
Harnett County, NC 52.5 Elevated +6.1
Wake County, NC 33.6 Healthy -12.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Johnston County
Carteret County, NC 46.3 Normal -0.1
Columbia County, PA 46.3 Normal -0.1
Henderson County, NC 46.6 Normal +0.2
Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK 46.2 Normal -0.2
Cass County, MI 46.6 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Johnston 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 Johnston 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 Johnston County, North Carolina?

    Johnston County has a County Distress Index score of 46.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,868th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 81st in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Johnston County?

    The primary driver of distress in Johnston County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 66.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Johnston County compare to neighboring counties?

    Johnston County (46.4) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Wilson County, NC (68.3); Wayne County, NC (66.9); Sampson County, NC (61.0).

  • 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 Johnston County?

    Johnston County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 241,955 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.