Calhoun County, South Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.4 | 14,186 people · 29th most distressed in South Carolina
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Calhoun County, SC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.4 — 958th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within South Carolina, it ranks 29th of 46 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Calhoun County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 85.5 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 85.5
Debt in Collections 89
Medical Debt 78
Student Loan Delinquency 92
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 93
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 67
Income & Poverty 60.1
Poverty Rate 59
Income vs. State Median 44
Child Poverty Rate 78
Community Vulnerability 55.0
Uninsured Rate 48
Disability Rate 61
Employment & Wages 50.7
Unemployment Rate 86
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 52
Business Formation Rate 14
Housing Cost Burden 40.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 34
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 72
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 6
Homeownership Rate 6
Rent-to-Income Ratio 85

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Calhoun County
Calhoun County, SC 58.4 Elevated —
Clarendon County, SC 70.1 Serious +11.8
Sumter County, SC 67.1 Serious +8.7
Orangeburg County, SC 65.4 Serious +7.0
Richland County, SC 61.5 Elevated +3.2
Lexington County, SC 46.0 Normal -12.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Calhoun County
Calloway County, KY 58.4 Elevated 0.0
Lincoln County, OK 58.4 Elevated -0.0
Clinton County, PA 58.4 Elevated +0.0
Appling County, GA 58.4 Elevated +0.0
Union County, AR 58.4 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Calhoun 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 Calhoun 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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Calhoun County has a County Distress Index score of 58.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 958th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in South Carolina out of 46 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Calhoun County?

    The primary driver of distress in Calhoun County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 85.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Calhoun County compare to neighboring counties?

    Calhoun County (58.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Clarendon County, SC (70.1); Sumter County, SC (67.1); Orangeburg County, SC (65.4).

  • 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 Calhoun County?

    Calhoun County, South Carolina has a population of approximately 14,186 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.