Chester County, South Carolina
Above the national median for subprime credit share.
Main Findings
Chester County, South Carolina ranks 295th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 38% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
- 295th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 75.1 · high county distress, 17th in South Carolina.
- 38% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 93rd percentile nationally. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025).
- Unemployment at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 82nd percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Child poverty rate at 31% — national median 18%, ranked at the 92nd percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 25% — national median 21%, ranked at the 78th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
Unemployment is 5%, near the national median of 4%, while subprime credit share runs at the 93rd percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 34-point drop to Lancaster County marks where the South Carolina distress corridor ends.
Chester County has a high county distress score. The score label gives the intensity; the rank gives the national position.
The CDI gives this county a high county distress label. The rank belongs beside the score because the two answer different questions: score intensity and national position. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 31% of children under 18 in Chester County live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Chester County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Chester County's value shown alongside SC's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Chester | SC median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 89 · Rank 255 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 9% | 5% | 85th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 8% | 5% | 89th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 38% | 33% | 23% | 93rd | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 59 · Rank 1,159 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 38% | 36% | 23% | 92nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 81 | 105 | 126 | 26th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 71 · Rank 686 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 25% | 24% | 21% | 78th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 20% | 21% | 18% | 64th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 82 · Rank 548 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 4% | 4% | 82nd | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 75 · Rank 595 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 31% | 24% | 18% | 92nd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 15% | 16% | 16% | 38th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 20% | 17% | 14% | 86th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 12% | 10% | 8% | 75th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Chester County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 129-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
CHESTER, S.C. — Chester County ranks 295th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 75.1 out of 100 gives Chester a high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 294 counties rank more distressed. Within South Carolina, Chester ranks 17th of 46 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies delinquency as the primary driver in Chester. 38% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chester County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Chester County's distress score?
How does Chester County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Chester County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →