Allendale County, South Carolina

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.6 | 7,369 people · 13th most distressed in South Carolina
American Default Research

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Allendale County, SC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.6 — 280th 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 South Carolina, it ranks 13th of 46 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Allendale County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 95.0 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 95.0
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Community Vulnerability 86.5
Uninsured Rate 78
Disability Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 77.4
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 80
Student Loan Delinquency 88
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 11
Housing Cost Burden 45.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 23
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 20
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 85
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Employment & Wages 38.6
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 8
Business Formation Rate 13

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Allendale County
Allendale County, SC 68.6 Serious —
Barnwell County, SC 74.9 Serious +6.3
Bamberg County, SC 74.4 Serious +5.7
Colleton County, SC 72.0 Serious +3.4
Hampton County, SC 70.9 Serious +2.3
Burke County, GA 66.2 Serious -2.4
Screven County, GA 66.0 Serious -2.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Allendale County
De Baca County, NM 68.6 Serious -0.1
Turner County, GA 68.7 Serious +0.1
Tensas Parish, LA 68.8 Serious +0.1
Baker County, GA 68.5 Serious -0.2
Taliaferro County, GA 68.9 Serious +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Allendale County

Find an Attorney

South Carolina Bar — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

South Carolina Bar — Lawyer Referral Service 803-799-7100

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Allendale County residents at no cost.

SC Legal Services (Palmetto Legal Services / Greater Columbia Community Relations Council) 1-888-346-5592
Upstate Legal Services 864-679-3232
Pro Bono Legal Services — SC Bar 803-799-6653
Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services 843-853-3304
South Carolina Legal Services, Inc. (888) 346-5592

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Allendale County, South Carolina?

    Allendale County has a County Distress Index score of 68.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 280th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 13th in South Carolina out of 46 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Allendale County?

    The primary driver of distress in Allendale County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Allendale County compare to neighboring counties?

    Allendale County (68.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Barnwell County, SC (74.9); Bamberg County, SC (74.4); Colleton County, SC (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 Allendale County?

    Allendale County, South Carolina has a population of approximately 7,369 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.