Polk County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.1 | 20,060 people · 75th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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

Polk County, NC falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.1 — 1665th 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 75th of 100 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 4 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Polk County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 63.3 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 63.3
Uninsured Rate 63
Disability Rate 64
Income & Poverty 53.1
Poverty Rate 44
Income vs. State Median 56
Child Poverty Rate 60
Housing Cost Burden 52.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 60
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 60
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 63
Homeownership Rate 38
Rent-to-Income Ratio 39
Debt & Delinquency 39.0
Debt in Collections 33
Medical Debt 34
Student Loan Delinquency 74
Auto Loan Delinquency 34
Credit Card Delinquency 42
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 17
Employment & Wages 37.9
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 54
Business Formation Rate 33

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Polk County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Polk County, NC 49.1 Normal —
Rutherford County, NC 64.5 Elevated +15.4
Spartanburg County, SC 54.1 Elevated +5.0
Henderson County, NC 46.6 Normal -2.5
Greenville County, SC 45.1 Normal -4.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
LaSalle Parish, LA 49.1 Normal +0.0
Cass County, MN 49.1 Normal +0.0
Lawrence County, AL 49.2 Normal +0.1
Owen County, KY 49.0 Normal -0.1
Chenango County, NY 49.0 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Polk 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 Polk 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 Polk County, North Carolina?

    Polk County has a County Distress Index score of 49.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,665th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 75th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Polk County?

    The primary driver of distress in Polk County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 63.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Polk County compare to neighboring counties?

    Polk County (49.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Rutherford County, NC (64.5); Spartanburg County, SC (54.1); Henderson County, NC (46.6).

  • 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 Polk County?

    Polk County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 20,060 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.