Scotland County, North Carolina
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Scotland County. Population: 34,376 (small).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Scotland County, NC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 76.8 — 32nd 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 3rd of 100 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Scotland 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
Housing Cost Burden
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
How Scotland County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland County, NC | 76.8 | Serious Stress | — |
| Robeson County, NC | 76.3 | Serious Stress | -0.5 |
| Marlboro County, SC | 74.1 | Serious Stress | -2.7 |
| Richmond County, NC | 68.6 | Serious Stress | -8.2 |
| Hoke County, NC | 63.3 | Elevated | -13.5 |
| Moore County, NC | 38.2 | Normal | -38.6 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (small) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bee County, TX | 76.9 | Serious Stress | +0.0 |
| McIntosh County, OK | 76.8 | Serious Stress | -0.1 |
| Seminole County, OK | 76.8 | Serious Stress | -0.1 |
| Ripley County, MO | 77.0 | Serious Stress | +0.1 |
| Mississippi County, MO | 76.6 | Serious Stress | -0.2 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Scotland County as a CSV file.
Resources
Scotland 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 Scotland County, North Carolina?
Scotland County has a County Distress Index score of 76.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 32nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 3rd in North Carolina out of 100 counties.
What drives financial distress in Scotland County?
The primary driver of distress in Scotland County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 97.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Scotland County compare to neighboring counties?
Scotland County (76.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Robeson County, NC (76.3); Marlboro County, SC (74.1); Richmond County, NC (68.6).
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 Scotland County?
Scotland County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 34,376 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.