Jones County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.9 | 9,401 people · 22nd most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Jones County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.9 — 503rd 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 22nd of 100 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jones County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 85.2 — worse than roughly 85% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 85.2
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 95
Student Loan Delinquency 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 88
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 72
Income & Poverty 84.1
Poverty Rate 82
Income vs. State Median 79
Child Poverty Rate 91
Community Vulnerability 78.6
Uninsured Rate 69
Disability Rate 89
Employment & Wages 39.3
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 31
Business Formation Rate 49
Housing Cost Burden 37.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 46
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 21
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 27
Homeownership Rate 44
Rent-to-Income Ratio 49

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Jones County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jones County
Jones County, NC 64.9 Elevated —
Lenoir County, NC 68.2 Serious +3.3
Duplin County, NC 66.8 Serious +1.9
Onslow County, NC 58.3 Elevated -6.6
Craven County, NC 57.2 Elevated -7.7
Carteret County, NC 46.3 Normal -18.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jones County
Modoc County, CA 65.0 Elevated +0.1
Wilkes County, GA 64.8 Elevated -0.1
Crowley County, CO 65.0 Serious +0.1
St. Clair County, MO 64.7 Elevated -0.2
Claiborne County, MS 64.7 Elevated -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jones 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 Jones 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Jones County has a County Distress Index score of 64.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 503rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 22nd in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jones County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jones County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 85.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Jones County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jones County (64.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Lenoir County, NC (68.2); Duplin County, NC (66.8); Onslow County, NC (58.3).

  • 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 Jones County?

    Jones County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 9,401 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.