Robeson County, North Carolina
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Robeson County. Population: 117,365 (mid).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Robeson County, NC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 76.3 — 41st 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 4th of 100 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 7 show less distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Robeson County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Income & Poverty
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Housing Cost Burden
Employment & Wages
How Robeson County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robeson County, NC | 76.3 | Serious Stress | — |
| Scotland County, NC | 76.8 | Serious Stress | +0.5 |
| Marlboro County, SC | 74.1 | Serious Stress | -2.2 |
| Dillon County, SC | 72.8 | Serious Stress | -3.5 |
| Cumberland County, NC | 65.7 | Serious Stress | -10.5 |
| Columbus County, NC | 64.6 | Elevated | -11.7 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (mid) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKinley County, NM | 76.1 | Serious Stress | -0.1 |
| Bibb County, GA | 76.1 | Serious Stress | -0.2 |
| Cumberland County, NJ | 74.9 | Serious Stress | -1.4 |
| Muskogee County, OK | 74.4 | Serious Stress | -1.8 |
| Maverick County, TX | 74.2 | Serious Stress | -2.1 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Robeson County as a CSV file.
Resources
Robeson County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Robeson County, North Carolina?
Robeson County has a County Distress Index score of 76.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 41st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.
What drives financial distress in Robeson County?
The primary driver of distress in Robeson County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 97.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Robeson County compare to neighboring counties?
Robeson County (76.3) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Scotland County, NC (76.8); Marlboro County, SC (74.1); Dillon County, SC (72.8).
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 Robeson County?
Robeson County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 117,365 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.