Northampton County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Serious · 72.0 | 16,715 people · 11th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Northampton County, NC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 72.0 — 132nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within North Carolina, it ranks 11th of 100 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Northampton County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 92.0 — worse than roughly 92% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 92.0
Poverty Rate 88
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 93
Debt & Delinquency 79.5
Debt in Collections 80
Medical Debt 56
Student Loan Delinquency 87
Auto Loan Delinquency 93
Credit Card Delinquency 90
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 71
Community Vulnerability 74.6
Uninsured Rate 64
Disability Rate 85
Housing Cost Burden 66.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 63
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 70
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 55
Homeownership Rate 56
Rent-to-Income Ratio 87
Employment & Wages 47.9
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 36
Business Formation Rate 36

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Northampton County
Northampton County, NC 72.0 Serious —
Halifax County, NC 77.3 Serious +5.2
Bertie County, NC 77.1 Serious +5.1
Hertford County, NC 74.4 Serious +2.4
Warren County, NC 72.4 Serious +0.4
Greensville County, VA 66.3 Serious -5.8
Brunswick County, VA 57.8 Elevated -14.2
Southampton County, VA 51.0 Elevated -21.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Northampton County
Colleton County, SC 72.0 Serious +0.0
Marshall County, MS 72.1 Serious +0.1
Glacier County, MT 72.1 Serious +0.1
Dixie County, FL 72.1 Serious +0.1
Delaware County, OK 72.1 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Northampton County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Northampton County.

CHOANOKE AREA DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION OF NC, INC.
Rich Square
252-539-4155 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in North Carolina →

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 Northampton 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Northampton County has a County Distress Index score of 72.0 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 132nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 11th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Northampton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Northampton County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 92.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Northampton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Northampton County (72.0) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Halifax County, NC (77.3); Bertie County, NC (77.1); Hertford County, NC (74.4).

  • 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 Northampton County?

    Northampton County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 16,715 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.