Fredericksburg city, Virginia
Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 3.0× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Steele County, ND — 12%).
Main Findings
Fredericksburg city, Virginia ranks 677th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a rent-to-income ratio of 36% — above the national median of 21%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 677th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 66.8 · moderate-high county distress, 32nd in Virginia.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 36% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 99th percentile nationally. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Auto loan delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 84th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 252 — national median 126, ranked at the 86th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 60th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
Fredericksburg city 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
Subprime credit population
Debt in collections
The Indicators Behind Fredericksburg city's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Fredericksburg city's value shown alongside VA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Fredericksburg city | VA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 75 · Rank 676 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 6% | 5% | 84th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 6% | 5% | 64th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 31% | 25% | 23% | 78th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 69 · Rank 773 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 24% | 22% | 23% | 52nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 252 | 177 | 126 | 86th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 95 · Rank 59 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 36% | 22% | 21% | 99th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 26% | 19% | 18% | 90th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 60 · Rank 1,197 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 60th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 35 · Rank 2,211 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 19% | 18% | 18% | 58th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 10% | 15% | 16% | 4th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 13% | 13% | 14% | 43rd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 8% | 7% | 8% | 48th | 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 Fredericksburg city data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 132-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Fredericksburg city ranks 677th 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 66.8 out of 100 gives Fredericksburg city a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 676 counties rank more distressed. Within Virginia, Fredericksburg city ranks 32nd 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 Fredericksburg. A rent-to-income ratio of 36% — 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 Fredericksburg city's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Fredericksburg city's distress score?
How does Fredericksburg city compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Fredericksburg city resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →