McDowell County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.8 | 44,893 people · 59th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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McDowell County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.8 — 1303rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within North Carolina, it ranks 59th 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. McDowell County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 69.3 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 69.3
Uninsured Rate 75
Disability Rate 63
Income & Poverty 66.4
Poverty Rate 62
Income vs. State Median 76
Child Poverty Rate 61
Debt & Delinquency 51.8
Debt in Collections 68
Medical Debt 76
Student Loan Delinquency 15
Auto Loan Delinquency 57
Credit Card Delinquency 77
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 17
Employment & Wages 48.8
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 35
Business Formation Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 32.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 20
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 25
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 20
Homeownership Rate 52
Rent-to-Income Ratio 46

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. McDowell County
McDowell County, NC 53.8 Elevated —
Rutherford County, NC 64.5 Elevated +10.7
Burke County, NC 62.7 Elevated +8.9
Avery County, NC 54.0 Elevated +0.2
Buncombe County, NC 51.1 Elevated -2.7
Yancey County, NC 49.6 Normal -4.2
Mitchell County, NC 48.9 Normal -4.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. McDowell County
Mifflin County, PA 53.8 Elevated -0.0
Cleburne County, AR 53.8 Elevated -0.0
Prentiss County, MS 53.8 Elevated +0.0
Allen County, KS 53.9 Elevated +0.0
Jennings County, IN 53.9 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in McDowell 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 McDowell 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 McDowell County, North Carolina?

    McDowell County has a County Distress Index score of 53.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,303rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 59th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in McDowell County?

    The primary driver of distress in McDowell County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 69.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does McDowell County compare to neighboring counties?

    McDowell County (53.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Rutherford County, NC (64.5); Burke County, NC (62.7); Avery County, NC (54.0).

  • 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 McDowell County?

    McDowell County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 44,893 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.