Chesterfield County, Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 38.1 | 383,876 people · 99th most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

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Chesterfield County, VA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 38.1 — 2471st 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 99th of 133 counties. Among its 11 neighboring counties, 9 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Chesterfield County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 65.0 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 65.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 89
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 78
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 85
Homeownership Rate 34
Rent-to-Income Ratio 39
Debt & Delinquency 49.4
Debt in Collections 35
Medical Debt 28
Student Loan Delinquency 37
Auto Loan Delinquency 53
Credit Card Delinquency 51
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 92
Employment & Wages 42.6
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 84
Business Formation Rate 13
Community Vulnerability 29.1
Uninsured Rate 39
Disability Rate 19
Income & Poverty 4.4
Poverty Rate 4
Income vs. State Median 4
Child Poverty Rate 6

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Chesterfield County compares to its 11 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Chesterfield County
Chesterfield County, VA 38.1 Normal —
Petersburg city, VA 82.0 Crisis +43.8
Hopewell city, VA 73.4 Serious +35.3
Richmond city, VA 62.4 Elevated +24.3
Colonial Heights city, VA 57.7 Elevated +19.6
Charles City County, VA 50.7 Elevated +12.6
Dinwiddie County, VA 47.3 Normal +9.2
Amelia County, VA 47.1 Normal +9.0
Prince George County, VA 42.1 Normal +4.0
Henrico County, VA 42.1 Normal +4.0
Powhatan County, VA 24.6 Healthy -13.5
Goochland County, VA 13.9 Healthy -24.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Chesterfield County
Hillsborough County, NH 38.1 Normal -0.0
Clay County, MO 38.1 Normal +0.0
Clackamas County, OR 38.3 Normal +0.2
Honolulu County, HI 37.9 Normal -0.3
Cherokee County, GA 37.8 Normal -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Chesterfield 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 Chesterfield 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 Chesterfield County, Virginia?

    Chesterfield County has a County Distress Index score of 38.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,471st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 99th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Chesterfield County?

    The primary driver of distress in Chesterfield County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 65.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Chesterfield County compare to neighboring counties?

    Chesterfield County (38.1) can be compared to its 11 neighboring counties: Petersburg city, VA (82.0); Hopewell city, VA (73.4); Richmond city, VA (62.4).

  • 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 Chesterfield County?

    Chesterfield County, Virginia has a population of approximately 383,876 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.