Stokes County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 51.1 | 45,532 people · 68th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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

Stokes County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 51.1 — 1501st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within North Carolina, it ranks 68th of 100 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Stokes County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 69.3 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 69.3
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 92
Business Formation Rate 81
Community Vulnerability 66.1
Uninsured Rate 55
Disability Rate 78
Housing Cost Burden 42.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 42
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 29
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 41
Homeownership Rate 27
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74
Debt & Delinquency 42.4
Debt in Collections 44
Medical Debt 32
Student Loan Delinquency 52
Auto Loan Delinquency 35
Credit Card Delinquency 46
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 45
Income & Poverty 35.3
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 36

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Stokes County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Stokes County
Stokes County, NC 51.1 Elevated —
Henry County, VA 64.9 Elevated +13.7
Rockingham County, NC 58.1 Elevated +7.0
Patrick County, VA 55.8 Elevated +4.7
Guilford County, NC 54.2 Elevated +3.0
Forsyth County, NC 53.0 Elevated +1.8
Surry County, NC 51.7 Elevated +0.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Stokes County
Newton County, IN 51.1 Elevated 0.0
Miller County, MO 51.1 Elevated -0.0
Carroll County, OH 51.1 Elevated -0.0
Morrow County, OH 51.1 Elevated -0.0
Tillamook County, OR 51.1 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Stokes 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 Stokes 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 Stokes County, North Carolina?

    Stokes County has a County Distress Index score of 51.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,501st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 68th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Stokes County?

    The primary driver of distress in Stokes County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 69.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Stokes County compare to neighboring counties?

    Stokes County (51.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Henry County, VA (64.9); Rockingham County, NC (58.1); Patrick County, VA (55.8).

  • 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 Stokes County?

    Stokes County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 45,532 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.