Darlington County, South Carolina
More than double the national median for auto loan delinquency.
Main Findings
Darlington County, South Carolina ranks 111th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 11% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due — more than double the national median of 5%. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
- 111th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 81.7 · very high county distress, 6th in South Carolina.
- 11% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Auto loan delinquency at the 96th percentile nationally. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 28% — national median 21%, ranked at the 92nd percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Poverty rate at 22% — national median 14%, ranked at the 91st percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 75th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
Unemployment is 4%, near the national median of 4%, while auto loan delinquency runs at the 96th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 24-point drop to Kershaw County marks where the South Carolina distress corridor ends.
Darlington County has a very high county distress score. The domain table shows which local pressure carries the composite.
The CDI gives this county a very high county distress label. The five-domain profile shows which local pressures carry the score. 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), 30% of children under 18 in Darlington 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 Darlington County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Darlington County's value shown alongside SC's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Darlington | SC median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 93 · Rank 125 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 11% | 9% | 5% | 96th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 8% | 5% | 91st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 38% | 33% | 23% | 92nd | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 74 · Rank 600 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 42% | 36% | 23% | 97th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 130 | 105 | 126 | 52nd | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 88 · Rank 193 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 28% | 24% | 21% | 92nd | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 24% | 21% | 18% | 84th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 75 · Rank 745 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 75th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 78 · Rank 465 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 30% | 24% | 18% | 91st | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 17% | 16% | 16% | 57th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 22% | 17% | 14% | 91st | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 9% | 10% | 8% | 58th | 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 Darlington County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 133-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Darlington County ranks 111th 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 81.7 out of 100 gives Darlington a very high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 110 counties rank more distressed. Within South Carolina, Darlington ranks sixth 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 Darlington. 11% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due — more than double the national median of 5%.
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 Darlington County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Darlington County's distress score?
How does Darlington County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Darlington County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →