Essex County, Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 62.1 | 10,598 people · 29th most distressed in Virginia
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Essex County, VA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 62.1 — 681st 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 29th of 133 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Essex County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 69.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 69.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 80
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 74
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 66
Homeownership Rate 74
Rent-to-Income Ratio 52
Debt & Delinquency 64.3
Debt in Collections 67
Medical Debt 15
Student Loan Delinquency 51
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 64
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Employment & Wages 62.2
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 76
Business Formation Rate 49
Community Vulnerability 58.6
Uninsured Rate 66
Disability Rate 51
Income & Poverty 56.3
Poverty Rate 46
Income vs. State Median 59
Child Poverty Rate 64

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Essex County
Essex County, VA 62.1 Elevated —
Westmoreland County, VA 62.0 Elevated -0.1
Richmond County, VA 53.9 Elevated -8.3
Middlesex County, VA 48.4 Normal -13.8
Lancaster County, VA 46.9 Normal -15.2
King and Queen County, VA 46.6 Normal -15.5
Caroline County, VA 41.1 Normal -21.0
King George County, VA 27.1 Healthy -35.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Essex County
Breathitt County, KY 62.1 Elevated 0.0
Charlotte County, VA 62.2 Elevated +0.0
Bethel Census Area, AK 62.2 Elevated +0.1
Scott County, MS 62.2 Elevated +0.1
Beckham County, OK 62.0 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Essex 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 Essex 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 Essex County, Virginia?

    Essex County has a County Distress Index score of 62.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 681st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Essex County?

    The primary driver of distress in Essex County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 69.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Essex County compare to neighboring counties?

    Essex County (62.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Westmoreland County, VA (62.0); Richmond County, VA (53.9); Middlesex County, VA (48.4).

  • 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 Essex County?

    Essex County, Virginia has a population of approximately 10,598 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.