Rutherford County, North Carolina
Above the national median for transfer-income dependency — and 20.6× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Teton County, WY — 2%).
Main Findings
Rutherford County, North Carolina ranks 786th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 37% of personal income comes from government transfers — above the national median of 27%.
- 786th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 31st in North Carolina.
- 37% of personal income comes from government transfers (U.S. median 27%). Transfer-income dependency at the 88th percentile nationally.
- Auto loan delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 84th percentile.
- Severe rent burden (50%+) at 20% — national median 18%, ranked at the 66th percentile.
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 62nd percentile.
Neighbors span four CDI distress fifths. The 31-point drop to Polk County marks where the North Carolina distress corridor ends.
"Rutherford County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."
"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."
The Indicators Behind Rutherford County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Rutherford County's value shown alongside NC's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Rutherford | NC median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 75 · Rank 685 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 7% | 5% | 84th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 7% | 5% | 74th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 28% | 28% | 23% | 67th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 44 · Rank 1,799 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 31% | 27% | 23% | 77th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 53 | 87 | 126 | 11th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 62 · Rank 1,045 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 22% | 22% | 21% | 57th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 20% | 19% | 18% | 66th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 62 · Rank 1,203 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 3% | 4% | 62nd | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 78 · Rank 502 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 20% | 21% | 18% | 62nd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 21% | 17% | 16% | 87th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 15% | 15% | 14% | 63rd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 37% | 30% | 27% | 88th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 12% | 10% | 8% | 76th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Rutherford County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 155-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
RUTHERFORDTON, N.C. — Rutherford County ranks 786th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 64 out of 100 places Rutherford in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 785 counties rank more distressed. Within North Carolina, Rutherford ranks 31st of 100 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies safety net & buffer as the primary driver in Rutherford. 37% of personal income comes from government transfers — above the national median of 27%.
"Rutherford County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
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