Chester County, South Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.0 | 32,226 people · 19th most distressed in South Carolina
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Chester County, SC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.0 — 561st 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 19th of 46 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 4 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Chester County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 84.5 — worse than roughly 85% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 84.5
Poverty Rate 86
Income vs. State Median 76
Child Poverty Rate 92
Debt & Delinquency 75.3
Debt in Collections 92
Medical Debt 77
Student Loan Delinquency 83
Auto Loan Delinquency 85
Credit Card Delinquency 89
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 26
Housing Cost Burden 58.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 69
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 64
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 53
Homeownership Rate 30
Rent-to-Income Ratio 78
Community Vulnerability 56.7
Uninsured Rate 75
Disability Rate 38
Employment & Wages 44.7
Unemployment Rate 90
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Business Formation Rate 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Chester County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Chester County
Chester County, SC 64.0 Elevated —
Union County, SC 74.8 Serious +10.8
Fairfield County, SC 69.5 Serious +5.5
York County, SC 46.0 Normal -18.0
Lancaster County, SC 39.8 Normal -24.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Chester County
Wayne County, TN 64.0 Elevated 0.0
Cross County, AR 64.0 Elevated +0.0
San Juan County, UT 64.0 Elevated +0.0
Gallia County, OH 64.0 Elevated -0.0
Malheur County, OR 64.0 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Chester 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 Chester 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 Chester County, South Carolina?

    Chester County has a County Distress Index score of 64.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 561st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 19th in South Carolina out of 46 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Chester County?

    The primary driver of distress in Chester County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 84.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Chester County compare to neighboring counties?

    Chester County (64.0) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Union County, SC (74.8); Fairfield County, SC (69.5); York County, SC (46.0).

  • 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 Chester County?

    Chester County, South Carolina has a population of approximately 32,226 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.