Dillon County, South Carolina

County Distress Index: Serious · 72.8 | 27,698 people · 6th most distressed in South Carolina
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Dillon County, SC shows significant household financial distress with a score of 72.8 — 107th 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 6th of 46 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Dillon County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 94.2 — worse than roughly 94% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 94.2
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 93
Child Poverty Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 82.4
Debt in Collections 100
Medical Debt 74
Student Loan Delinquency 100
Auto Loan Delinquency 99
Credit Card Delinquency 99
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 23
Community Vulnerability 71.4
Uninsured Rate 87
Disability Rate 56
Employment & Wages 61.6
Unemployment Rate 94
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 57
Business Formation Rate 34
Housing Cost Burden 54.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 40
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 1
Homeownership Rate 93
Rent-to-Income Ratio 73

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Dillon County
Dillon County, SC 72.8 Serious —
Robeson County, NC 76.3 Serious +3.5
Marlboro County, SC 74.1 Serious +1.3
Marion County, SC 67.4 Serious -5.4
Columbus County, NC 64.6 Elevated -8.2
Florence County, SC 63.4 Elevated -9.4
Horry County, SC 61.4 Elevated -11.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Dillon County
Martinsville city, VA 72.8 Serious -0.0
Concordia Parish, LA 72.8 Serious +0.0
McCreary County, KY 72.9 Serious +0.1
Jackson County, FL 73.0 Serious +0.2
Le Flore County, OK 72.5 Serious -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Dillon 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 Dillon 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 Dillon County, South Carolina?

    Dillon County has a County Distress Index score of 72.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 107th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in South Carolina out of 46 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Dillon County?

    The primary driver of distress in Dillon County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 94.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Dillon County compare to neighboring counties?

    Dillon County (72.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Robeson County, NC (76.3); Marlboro County, SC (74.1); Marion County, SC (67.4).

  • 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 Dillon County?

    Dillon County, South Carolina has a population of approximately 27,698 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.