Madison County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.1 | 22,071 people · 57th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Madison County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.1 — 1274th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage gaps and disability rates are moderately elevated. Within North Carolina, it ranks 57th of 100 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Madison County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 64.1 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 64.1
Uninsured Rate 55
Disability Rate 73
Employment & Wages 57.3
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 96
Business Formation Rate 42
Income & Poverty 55.5
Poverty Rate 52
Income vs. State Median 54
Child Poverty Rate 61
Debt & Delinquency 48.5
Debt in Collections 44
Medical Debt 54
Student Loan Delinquency 55
Auto Loan Delinquency 60
Credit Card Delinquency 57
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 21
Housing Cost Burden 45.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 27
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 54
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 18
Homeownership Rate 30
Rent-to-Income Ratio 97

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Madison County
Madison County, NC 54.1 Elevated —
Cocke County, TN 75.6 Serious +21.4
Unicoi County, TN 64.4 Elevated +10.2
Greene County, TN 58.6 Elevated +4.5
Buncombe County, NC 51.1 Elevated -3.0
Haywood County, NC 50.5 Elevated -3.7
Yancey County, NC 49.6 Normal -4.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Madison County
Kalkaska County, MI 54.2 Elevated +0.0
Pettis County, MO 54.2 Elevated +0.0
Barry County, MO 54.1 Elevated -0.0
Clay County, AL 54.2 Elevated +0.0
Jay County, IN 54.1 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison County, North Carolina?

    Madison County has a County Distress Index score of 54.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,274th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 57th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Madison County?

    The primary driver of distress in Madison County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 64.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Madison County compare to neighboring counties?

    Madison County (54.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Cocke County, TN (75.6); Unicoi County, TN (64.4); Greene County, TN (58.6).

  • 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 Madison County?

    Madison County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 22,071 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.