Yancey County, North Carolina

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.6 | 18,938 people · 72nd most distressed in North Carolina
American Default Research

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Yancey County, NC falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.6 — 1623rd 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 72nd of 100 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Yancey County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 70.5 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 70.5
Uninsured Rate 61
Disability Rate 80
Income & Poverty 69.3
Poverty Rate 67
Income vs. State Median 71
Child Poverty Rate 70
Employment & Wages 44.6
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 35
Business Formation Rate 65
Debt & Delinquency 34.7
Debt in Collections 56
Medical Debt 69
Student Loan Delinquency 10
Auto Loan Delinquency 36
Credit Card Delinquency 26
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 11
Housing Cost Burden 28.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 12
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 23
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 30
Homeownership Rate 34
Rent-to-Income Ratio 44

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Yancey County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Yancey County
Yancey County, NC 49.6 Normal —
Unicoi County, TN 64.4 Elevated +14.8
Madison County, NC 54.1 Elevated +4.6
McDowell County, NC 53.8 Elevated +4.2
Buncombe County, NC 51.1 Elevated +1.6
Mitchell County, NC 48.9 Normal -0.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Yancey County
Hancock County, MS 49.6 Normal +0.0
Lawrence County, MO 49.5 Normal -0.0
Ashland County, WI 49.5 Normal -0.0
Jefferson Davis Parish, LA 49.6 Normal +0.1
Johnson County, IL 49.7 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Yancey 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 Yancey 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 Yancey County, North Carolina?

    Yancey County has a County Distress Index score of 49.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,623rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 72nd in North Carolina out of 100 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Yancey County?

    The primary driver of distress in Yancey County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 70.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Yancey County compare to neighboring counties?

    Yancey County (49.6) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Unicoi County, TN (64.4); Madison County, NC (54.1); McDowell County, NC (53.8).

  • 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 Yancey County?

    Yancey County, North Carolina has a population of approximately 18,938 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.