Richmond County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.6 | 42,324 people · 15th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Richmond County, NC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.6 — 281st 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 15th of 100 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Richmond County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 90.1 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 90.1
Poverty Rate 92
Income vs. State Median 87
Child Poverty Rate 92
Debt & Delinquency 75.4
Debt in Collections 94
Medical Debt 54
Student Loan Delinquency 93
Auto Loan Delinquency 90
Credit Card Delinquency 90
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 32
Housing Cost Burden 73.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 63
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 94
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 66
Homeownership Rate 85
Rent-to-Income Ratio 59
Community Vulnerability 59.5
Uninsured Rate 61
Disability Rate 58
Employment & Wages 44.8
Unemployment Rate 52
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 38
Business Formation Rate 45

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Richmond County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Richmond County
Richmond County, NC 68.6 Serious —
Scotland County, NC 76.8 Serious +8.2
Anson County, NC 75.5 Serious +6.9
Marlboro County, SC 74.1 Serious +5.5
Chesterfield County, SC 68.3 Serious -0.3
Hoke County, NC 63.3 Elevated -5.3
Montgomery County, NC 54.3 Elevated -14.4
Stanly County, NC 44.3 Normal -24.3
Moore County, NC 38.2 Normal -30.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Richmond County
Pulaski County, GA 68.6 Serious +0.0
Ben Hill County, GA 68.7 Serious +0.0
Matagorda County, TX 68.7 Serious +0.0
Meriwether County, GA 68.7 Serious +0.1
Early County, GA 68.8 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Richmond County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Richmond County.

SANDHILLS COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM, INC.
Rockingham
910-410-0207 Website
Foreclosure PreventionPre-PurchaseRental Help

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 Richmond 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 Richmond County, North Carolina?

    Richmond County has a County Distress Index score of 68.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 281st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 15th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Richmond County?

    The primary driver of distress in Richmond County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 90.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Richmond County compare to neighboring counties?

    Richmond County (68.6) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Scotland County, NC (76.8); Anson County, NC (75.5); Marlboro County, SC (74.1).

  • 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 Richmond County?

    Richmond County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 42,324 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.