Mitchell County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.9 | 14,999 people · 77th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Mitchell County, NC falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 48.9 — 1680th 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 77th of 100 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Mitchell County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 73.1 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 73.1
Uninsured Rate 65
Disability Rate 81
Income & Poverty 61.6
Poverty Rate 60
Income vs. State Median 65
Child Poverty Rate 60
Employment & Wages 43.6
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 28
Business Formation Rate 65
Housing Cost Burden 36.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 29
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 25
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 61
Homeownership Rate 32
Rent-to-Income Ratio 34
Debt & Delinquency 30.0
Debt in Collections 57
Medical Debt 45
Student Loan Delinquency 20
Auto Loan Delinquency 11
Credit Card Delinquency 42
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 6

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Mitchell County
Mitchell County, NC 48.9 Normal —
Carter County, TN 71.4 Serious +22.5
Unicoi County, TN 64.4 Elevated +15.5
Avery County, NC 54.0 Elevated +5.1
McDowell County, NC 53.8 Elevated +4.9
Yancey County, NC 49.6 Normal +0.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Mitchell County
Franklin County, NY 49.0 Normal +0.0
Barbour County, WV 48.9 Normal -0.0
Clarion County, PA 49.0 Normal +0.1
White County, GA 49.0 Normal +0.1
Wabash County, IL 49.0 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Mitchell 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 Mitchell 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 Mitchell County, North Carolina?

    Mitchell County has a County Distress Index score of 48.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,680th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 77th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Mitchell County?

    The primary driver of distress in Mitchell County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 73.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Mitchell County compare to neighboring counties?

    Mitchell County (48.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Carter County, TN (71.4); Unicoi County, TN (64.4); 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 Mitchell County?

    Mitchell County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 14,999 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.