In Dinwiddie County, Virginia, rent on a two-bedroom takes about three in ten dollars of the typical household's income
In Dinwiddie County, 27.9% of the typical household's income would go to rent on a two-bedroom. That is higher than in 93% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 73% of U.S. counties.
What drives Dinwiddie County's score
In Dinwiddie County, housing costs weigh most: the score for housing costs is 91.2. Late payments on loans come next, at 83.2.
The County Distress Index looks at five parts of household money trouble in Dinwiddie County: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each part is scored from 0 to 100, and a higher score means worse off than other counties.
Dinwiddie County does better than most counties on two measures: people below the poverty line (10.1%, 2024) and adults 25 to 54 not working (16.4%, 2020 to 2024).
A longer bar means more trouble. See how the county score works.
- 91.2 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorRenters, 2020–24 Census survey; HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent25.9% · 2020 to 202489th percentile
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income27.9% · fiscal year 202793rd percentile
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- 83.2 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, second quarter of 2026
- People with a credit card behind9.3% · August 202592nd percentile
- People with a car or retail loan behind8.6% · August 202586th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score46.2% · second quarter of 202670th percentile
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- 82.1 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector28.1% · August 202568th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people384.6 · 202595th percentile
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- 32.5 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- People below the poverty line10.1% · 202423rd percentile
- Children below the poverty line13.5% · 202430th percentile
- People with a disability14.8% · 2020 to 202438th percentile
- People without health insurance6.0% · 2020 to 202431st percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$70,913 · 202438th percentile
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- 30.8 of 100
Jobs
Unemployment through Sep 2026; adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey
- Unemployment rate, average over the latest year3.7% · Oct 2025 to Sep 202637th percentile
- Adults 25 to 54 not working16.4% · 2020 to 202423rd percentile
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Sources: Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and Census income; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Sep 2026.
How Dinwiddie County has changed
The number of jobs located in Dinwiddie County nearly doubled to 9,269, the highest on the chart
Biggest rise: 1995 to 2000, reaching 8,651. Yearly average of jobs covered by unemployment insurance, every fifth year and 2025, Dinwiddie County, Virginia.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 5.1% | 2025 3.4% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 11.7% | 2024 10.1% |
| Median household incomeCensus SAIPE | 1993 $31,188 | 2024 $70,913 |
The table uses 3.4% for 2025; the score uses 3.7% for the latest year (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026), both from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices.
Dated events in Dinwiddie County's history
1752
Formed May 1, 1752, from Prince George County. Wikipedia
1993
A tornado in August 1993 did $50 million in property damage and killed four people. NOAA Storm Events Database
2004
A flash flood in August 2004 did $2 million in property damage and killed one person. NOAA Storm Events Database
2010
The county's largest recorded population was the 2010 Census count of 28,001. The 2020 Census counted 27,947, 100% of the peak. Census Bureau
2011
A tornado in April 2011 did $1.5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1972
22 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Dinwiddie County, 4 of them for flooding. FEMA
Dinwiddie County beside its neighbors
Of the eight counties that border Dinwiddie County, five score higher.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petersburg city, VA | 99 | 23.3% | — |
| Greensville County, VA | 90 | 26.2% | — |
| Sussex County, VA | 87 | 21.9% | 39.0% |
| Nottoway County, VA | 81 | 19.0% | 39.9% |
| Brunswick County, VA | 78 | 20.2% | 39.9% |
| Dinwiddie County, VA | 73 | 10.1% | — |
| Amelia County, VA | 56 | 9.6% | 27.7% |
| Prince George County, VA | 42 | 11.3% | — |
| Chesterfield County, VA | 34 | 7.1% | 17.1% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Sep 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Dinwiddie County the poorest county in Virginia?
No, Dinwiddie County's poverty rate was 10.1% in 2024, 87th highest of 133 in Virginia (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Radford city, at 27.2%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Dinwiddie County ranks 38th of 133 in the state.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Dinwiddie County
Housing counselors approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development work at nonprofit agencies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau describes free foreclosure-avoidance counseling, including help with mortgage-company conversations and available options Source CFPB.
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Central Virginia Legal Aid Society
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Our help directory lists 1,010 agencies approved for foreclosure counseling, by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Dinwiddie County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Sep 2026, built from Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. The County Distress Index is American Default Research's own calculation; the Urban Institute does not produce or endorse it. Our methodology
- Urban Institute · Debt in America Breno Braga, Signe-Mary McKernan, Samantha Atherton, and Kassandra Martinchek, "Debt in America," last updated November 20, 2025, https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/debt-america-2025. Licensed under ODC-By 1.0.
- Rent on a two-bedroom and household income The rent share compares HUD fair market rent for fiscal year 2027 with Census Bureau median household income for 2024. The page calls this the typical household's income.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.