Person County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.5 | 39,737 people · 48th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Person County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.5 — 1107th 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 48th 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. Person County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 78.3 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 78.3
Debt in Collections 74
Medical Debt 84
Student Loan Delinquency 94
Auto Loan Delinquency 83
Credit Card Delinquency 93
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 41
Community Vulnerability 63.5
Uninsured Rate 52
Disability Rate 75
Housing Cost Burden 55.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 89
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 34
Homeownership Rate 42
Rent-to-Income Ratio 17
Income & Poverty 49.2
Poverty Rate 56
Income vs. State Median 34
Child Poverty Rate 57
Employment & Wages 36.2
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 28
Business Formation Rate 50

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Person County
Person County, NC 56.5 Elevated —
Halifax County, VA 65.8 Serious +9.2
Caswell County, NC 58.1 Elevated +1.6
Granville County, NC 49.3 Normal -7.3
Durham County, NC 42.9 Normal -13.6
Orange County, NC 34.1 Healthy -22.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Person County
Butler County, KY 56.5 Elevated -0.0
Marshall County, OK 56.5 Elevated +0.0
Massac County, IL 56.5 Elevated -0.1
Baker County, FL 56.5 Elevated -0.1
Jasper County, GA 56.4 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Person 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 Person 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 Person County, North Carolina?

    Person County has a County Distress Index score of 56.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,107th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 48th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Person County?

    The primary driver of distress in Person County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 78.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Person County compare to neighboring counties?

    Person County (56.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Halifax County, VA (65.8); Caswell County, NC (58.1); Granville County, NC (49.3).

  • 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 Person County?

    Person County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 39,737 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.