Swain County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.1 | 13,916 people · 51st most distressed in North Carolina
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Swain County, NC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.1 — 1201st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within North Carolina, it ranks 51st of 100 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Swain County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 76.8 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 76.8
Uninsured Rate 95
Disability Rate 59
Income & Poverty 71.1
Poverty Rate 65
Income vs. State Median 73
Child Poverty Rate 75
Debt & Delinquency 58.5
Debt in Collections 77
Medical Debt 53
Student Loan Delinquency 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 65
Credit Card Delinquency 80
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 38.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 26
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 58
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 7
Homeownership Rate 56
Rent-to-Income Ratio 44
Employment & Wages 31.3
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Business Formation Rate 32

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Swain County
Swain County, NC 55.1 Elevated —
Graham County, NC 59.6 Elevated +4.5
Jackson County, NC 54.7 Elevated -0.5
Macon County, NC 52.9 Elevated -2.3
Sevier County, TN 52.8 Elevated -2.3
Haywood County, NC 50.5 Elevated -4.6
Blount County, TN 44.6 Normal -10.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Swain County
Muhlenberg County, KY 55.1 Elevated 0.0
George County, MS 55.1 Elevated 0.0
Coles County, IL 55.1 Elevated +0.0
Lawrence County, IL 55.1 Elevated +0.0
Jefferson County, PA 55.1 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Swain 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 Swain 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 Swain County, North Carolina?

    Swain County has a County Distress Index score of 55.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,201st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 51st in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Swain County?

    The primary driver of distress in Swain County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 76.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Swain County compare to neighboring counties?

    Swain County (55.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Graham County, NC (59.6); Jackson County, NC (54.7); Macon County, NC (52.9).

  • 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 Swain County?

    Swain County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 13,916 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.