Caroline County, Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.1 | 32,640 people · 85th most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

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Caroline County, VA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.1 — 2279th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where debt and delinquency levels sit above the national average. Within Virginia, it ranks 85th of 133 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Caroline County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 63.3 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 63.3
Debt in Collections 64
Medical Debt 20
Student Loan Delinquency 51
Auto Loan Delinquency 82
Credit Card Delinquency 69
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 94
Employment & Wages 47.8
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 83
Business Formation Rate 30
Housing Cost Burden 47.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 54
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 54
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 93
Homeownership Rate 12
Rent-to-Income Ratio 24
Community Vulnerability 31.4
Uninsured Rate 36
Disability Rate 27
Income & Poverty 15.9
Poverty Rate 15
Income vs. State Median 14
Child Poverty Rate 19

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Caroline County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Caroline County
Caroline County, VA 41.1 Normal —
Essex County, VA 62.1 Elevated +21.0
King and Queen County, VA 46.6 Normal +5.5
Spotsylvania County, VA 39.2 Normal -2.0
King William County, VA 35.9 Normal -5.3
Stafford County, VA 33.3 Healthy -7.8
King George County, VA 27.1 Healthy -14.1
Hanover County, VA 26.8 Healthy -14.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Caroline County
Anderson County, KY 41.2 Normal +0.0
Meade County, KY 41.2 Normal +0.0
Ramsey County, ND 41.1 Normal -0.1
Fremont County, ID 41.2 Normal +0.1
Clay County, SD 41.2 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Caroline County

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 Caroline 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Caroline County has a County Distress Index score of 41.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,279th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 85th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Caroline County?

    The primary driver of distress in Caroline County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 63.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Caroline County compare to neighboring counties?

    Caroline County (41.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Essex County, VA (62.1); King and Queen County, VA (46.6); Spotsylvania County, VA (39.2).

  • 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 Caroline County?

    Caroline County, Virginia has a population of approximately 32,640 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.