Washington County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Serious · 71.6 | 10,713 people · 12th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Washington County, NC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 71.6 — 141st 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 12th 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. Washington County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 93.2 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 93.2
Poverty Rate 92
Income vs. State Median 93
Child Poverty Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 84.4
Debt in Collections 94
Medical Debt 77
Student Loan Delinquency 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 76
Community Vulnerability 74.0
Uninsured Rate 53
Disability Rate 95
Housing Cost Burden 70.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 58
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 63
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 85
Homeownership Rate 75
Rent-to-Income Ratio 71
Employment & Wages 36.1
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 23
Business Formation Rate 24

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Washington County
Washington County, NC 71.6 Serious —
Bertie County, NC 77.1 Serious +5.5
Hyde County, NC 73.7 Serious +2.1
Martin County, NC 70.8 Serious -0.8
Tyrrell County, NC 65.8 Serious -5.8
Beaufort County, NC 61.2 Elevated -10.4
Chowan County, NC 59.7 Elevated -11.9
Perquimans County, NC 59.6 Elevated -12.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Washington County
Grundy County, TN 71.6 Serious -0.0
Sequatchie County, TN 71.7 Serious +0.0
Knox County, KY 71.5 Serious -0.1
Dallas County, AL 71.5 Serious -0.1
Okmulgee County, OK 71.9 Serious +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County, North Carolina?

    Washington County has a County Distress Index score of 71.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 141st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 12th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Washington County?

    The primary driver of distress in Washington County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 93.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Washington County compare to neighboring counties?

    Washington County (71.6) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Bertie County, NC (77.1); Hyde County, NC (73.7); Martin County, NC (70.8).

  • 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 Washington County?

    Washington County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 10,713 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.