Charles City County, Virginia
Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 2.3× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Steele County, ND — 12%).
Main Findings
Charles City County, Virginia ranks 769th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a rent-to-income ratio of 27% — above the national median of 21%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 769th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 64.7 · moderate-high county distress, 37th in Virginia.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 27% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 89th percentile nationally. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 363 — national median 126, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Auto loan delinquency at 11% — national median 5%, ranked at the 94th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Disability rate at 19% — national median 16%, ranked at the 77th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
Unemployment is 4%, near the national median of 4%, while auto loan delinquency runs at the 94th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 22-point drop to New Kent County marks where the Virginia distress corridor ends.
Charles City County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
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 Charles City County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Charles City County's value shown alongside VA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Charles City | VA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 67 · Rank 978 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 11% | 6% | 5% | 94th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 6% | 5% | 47th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 26% | 25% | 23% | 59th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 81 · Rank 397 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 28% | 22% | 23% | 67th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 363 | 177 | 126 | 95th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 86 · Rank 244 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 27% | 22% | 21% | 89th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 24% | 19% | 18% | 83rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 49 · Rank 1,534 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 49th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 40 · Rank 1,991 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 18% | 18% | 18% | 48th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 19% | 15% | 16% | 77th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 11% | 13% | 14% | 32nd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 5% | 7% | 8% | 19th | 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 Charles City County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 133-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
CHARLES, Va. — Charles City County ranks 769th 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 64.7 out of 100 gives Charles City a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 768 counties rank more distressed. Within Virginia, Charles City ranks 37th of 133 counties and independent cities.
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 debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Charles. A rent-to-income ratio of 27% — above the national median of 21%.
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 Charles City County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
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How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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