Albemarle County, Virginia

County Distress Index: Healthy · 30.6 | 115,676 people · 119th most distressed in Virginia
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Albemarle County, VA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 30.6 — 2864th 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 Virginia, it ranks 119th of 133 counties. It scores lower than all 9 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Albemarle County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.3 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 78
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 79
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 60
Homeownership Rate 82
Rent-to-Income Ratio 52
Employment & Wages 46.9
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 80
Business Formation Rate 38
Debt & Delinquency 17.0
Debt in Collections 8
Medical Debt 15
Student Loan Delinquency 9
Auto Loan Delinquency 37
Credit Card Delinquency 4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 30
Community Vulnerability 13.5
Uninsured Rate 22
Disability Rate 5
Income & Poverty 5.6
Poverty Rate 7
Income vs. State Median 3
Child Poverty Rate 7

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Albemarle County compares to its 9 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Albemarle County
Albemarle County, VA 30.6 Healthy —
Buckingham County, VA 63.1 Elevated +32.5
Charlottesville city, VA 44.4 Normal +13.8
Nelson County, VA 40.7 Normal +10.1
Louisa County, VA 40.2 Normal +9.5
Greene County, VA 39.1 Normal +8.5
Augusta County, VA 37.6 Normal +7.0
Orange County, VA 37.3 Normal +6.6
Rockingham County, VA 35.2 Normal +4.5
Fluvanna County, VA 34.7 Healthy +4.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Albemarle County
Tooele County, UT 30.6 Healthy 0.0
Chittenden County, VT 30.5 Healthy -0.1
Grand Traverse County, MI 30.9 Healthy +0.2
Roanoke County, VA 30.3 Healthy -0.4
Sherburne County, MN 31.1 Healthy +0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Albemarle County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Albemarle County.

PIEDMONT HOUSING ALLIANCE
Charlottesville
434-817-2436 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in Virginia →

Find an Attorney

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-552-7977

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Albemarle County residents at no cost.

Virginia Legal Aid Society 540-342-3900
Legal Aid Justice Center 434-977-0553
Legal Services of Northern Virginia 703-778-6800
Virginia Poverty Law Center 804-782-9430
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society 804-648-1012
Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc. (866) 534-5243
Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (757) 827-5078
Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc. (888) 201-2772

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 Virginia →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Albemarle County, Virginia?

    Albemarle County has a County Distress Index score of 30.6 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,864th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 119th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Albemarle County?

    The primary driver of distress in Albemarle County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Albemarle County compare to neighboring counties?

    Albemarle County (30.6) can be compared to its 9 neighboring counties: Buckingham County, VA (63.1); Charlottesville city, VA (44.4); Nelson County, VA (40.7).

  • 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 Albemarle County?

    Albemarle County, Virginia has a population of approximately 115,676 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.