Richland County, South Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.5 | 425,138 people · 22nd most distressed in South Carolina
American Default Research

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Richland County, SC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.5 — 715th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within South Carolina, it ranks 22nd 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. Richland County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 87.0 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 87.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 97
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 97
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 69
Homeownership Rate 93
Rent-to-Income Ratio 79
Debt & Delinquency 77.2
Debt in Collections 87
Medical Debt 55
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 93
Credit Card Delinquency 87
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 67
Income & Poverty 53.8
Poverty Rate 67
Income vs. State Median 34
Child Poverty Rate 60
Community Vulnerability 45.1
Uninsured Rate 56
Disability Rate 34
Employment & Wages 44.6
Unemployment Rate 82
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 45
Business Formation Rate 7

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Richland County
Richland County, SC 61.5 Elevated —
Fairfield County, SC 69.5 Serious +8.0
Sumter County, SC 67.1 Serious +5.6
Newberry County, SC 60.6 Elevated -1.0
Calhoun County, SC 58.4 Elevated -3.2
Kershaw County, SC 52.7 Elevated -8.8
Lexington County, SC 46.0 Normal -15.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Richland County
Horry County, SC 61.4 Elevated -0.1
Osceola County, FL 61.8 Elevated +0.3
Genesee County, MI 61.2 Elevated -0.3
St. Louis city, MO 61.2 Elevated -0.3
Camden County, NJ 61.1 Elevated -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Richland County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Richland County.

NSC (NACA COUNSELING SUBSIDIARY) - COLUMBIA, SC
COLUMBIA
803-255-0223 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingPost-Purchase

See all counselors in South Carolina →

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 Richland 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in South Carolina →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Richland County has a County Distress Index score of 61.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 715th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 22nd in South Carolina out of 46 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Richland County?

    The primary driver of distress in Richland County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 87.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Richland County compare to neighboring counties?

    Richland County (61.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Fairfield County, SC (69.5); Sumter County, SC (67.1); Newberry County, SC (60.6).

  • 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 Richland County?

    Richland County, South Carolina has a population of approximately 425,138 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.