Warren County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Serious · 72.4 | 18,836 people · 10th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Warren County, NC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 72.4 — 117th 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 10th of 100 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Warren County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 90.0 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 90.0
Poverty Rate 87
Income vs. State Median 92
Child Poverty Rate 91
Debt & Delinquency 80.0
Debt in Collections 81
Medical Debt 76
Student Loan Delinquency 86
Auto Loan Delinquency 81
Credit Card Delinquency 85
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 70
Community Vulnerability 77.5
Uninsured Rate 69
Disability Rate 86
Housing Cost Burden 62.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 67
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 32
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 74
Homeownership Rate 72
Rent-to-Income Ratio 68
Employment & Wages 52.0
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 61
Business Formation Rate 28

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Warren County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Warren County
Warren County, NC 72.4 Serious —
Halifax County, NC 77.3 Serious +4.9
Vance County, NC 76.1 Serious +3.8
Northampton County, NC 72.0 Serious -0.4
Nash County, NC 59.7 Elevated -12.7
Mecklenburg County, VA 58.5 Elevated -13.9
Brunswick County, VA 57.8 Elevated -14.5
Franklin County, NC 53.7 Elevated -18.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Warren County
Pushmataha County, OK 72.4 Serious -0.0
Willacy County, TX 72.4 Serious -0.0
Bradley County, AR 72.4 Serious +0.0
Le Flore County, OK 72.5 Serious +0.1
Wayne County, KY 72.2 Serious -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Warren 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 Warren 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 Warren County, North Carolina?

    Warren County has a County Distress Index score of 72.4 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 117th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Warren County?

    The primary driver of distress in Warren County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 90.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Warren County compare to neighboring counties?

    Warren County (72.4) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Halifax County, NC (77.3); Vance County, NC (76.1); Northampton County, NC (72.0).

  • 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 Warren County?

    Warren County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 18,836 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.