Wayne County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.9 | 118,686 people · 18th most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Wayne County, NC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.9 — 383rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within North Carolina, it ranks 18th of 100 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Wayne County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 76.2 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 76.2
Debt in Collections 80
Medical Debt 73
Student Loan Delinquency 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 81
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 42
Housing Cost Burden 70.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 62
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 57
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 57
Homeownership Rate 91
Rent-to-Income Ratio 87
Income & Poverty 70.1
Poverty Rate 73
Income vs. State Median 67
Child Poverty Rate 70
Community Vulnerability 63.5
Uninsured Rate 78
Disability Rate 49
Employment & Wages 54.0
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 81
Business Formation Rate 39

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Wayne County
Wayne County, NC 66.9 Serious —
Greene County, NC 70.9 Serious +3.9
Wilson County, NC 68.3 Serious +1.3
Lenoir County, NC 68.2 Serious +1.3
Duplin County, NC 66.8 Serious -0.1
Sampson County, NC 61.0 Elevated -6.0
Johnston County, NC 46.4 Normal -20.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Wayne County
Navarro County, TX 67.0 Serious +0.1
Victoria County, TX 67.0 Serious +0.1
Sumter County, SC 67.1 Serious +0.1
Pike County, KY 66.8 Serious -0.2
Potter County, TX 66.8 Serious -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wayne 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 Wayne 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 Wayne County, North Carolina?

    Wayne County has a County Distress Index score of 66.9 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 383rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 18th in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wayne County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wayne County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 76.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Wayne County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wayne County (66.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Greene County, NC (70.9); Wilson County, NC (68.3); Lenoir County, NC (68.2).

  • 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 Wayne County?

    Wayne County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 118,686 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.