About one in 16 people in James City County, Virginia, lives below the poverty line
In James City County, 6.4% of people lived below the poverty line. That is lower than in 97% of U.S. counties.
Less distressed than 81% of U.S. counties.
What drives James City County's score
In James City County, housing costs are the highest-scoring part, at 53.8. Income and the safety net is the lowest part, at 11.4.
The County Distress Index looks at five parts of household money trouble in James City 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.
Even so, James City County is worse off than most counties on renters paying half their income or more in rent (25.8%, 2020 to 2024).
A longer bar means more trouble. See how the county score works.
- 53.8 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 rent25.8% · 2020 to 202488th percentile
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income17.7% · fiscal year 202718th percentile
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- 35.2 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 202638th percentile
- Adults 25 to 54 not working17.8% · 2020 to 202432nd percentile
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- 29.5 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector13.9% · August 202514th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people116.1 · 202544th percentile
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- 25.1 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, second quarter of 2026
- People with a credit card behind4.1% · August 202526th percentile
- People with a car or retail loan behind4.5% · August 202539th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score28.4% · second quarter of 20269th percentile
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- 11.4 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- People below the poverty line6.4% · 20242nd percentile
- Children below the poverty line7.7% · 20245th percentile
- People with a disability14.1% · 2020 to 202431st percentile
- People without health insurance4.7% · 2020 to 202415th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$113,101 · 20242nd 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 James City County has changed
The number of jobs located in James City County doubled to 30,485, the highest on the chart
Biggest rise: 2020 to 2025, reaching 30,485. Yearly average of jobs covered by unemployment insurance, every fifth year and 2025, James City County, Virginia.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 3.0% | 2025 3.4% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 7.0% | 2024 6.4% |
| Median household incomeCensus SAIPE | 1993 $42,714 | 2024 $113,101 |
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 James City County's history
1619
1619 (as James Cittie ). Wikipedia
1634
Formally created in 1634 as James City Shire by order of King Charles I. Wikipedia
1993
A tornado in August 1993 did $5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
1993
A tornado in August 1993 did $5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2003
Lightning in August 2003 killed one person. NOAA Storm Events Database
2007
A thunderstorm in June 2007 did $1 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2020
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 78,254, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
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Since 1972
18 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered James City County, 2 of them for flooding. FEMA
James City County beside its neighbors
Of the seven counties that border James City County, five score higher.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport News city, VA | 85 | 12.6% | 25.9% |
| Charles City County, VA | 68 | 11.4% | 25.1% |
| Williamsburg city, VA | 66 | 23.3% | — |
| King and Queen County, VA | 59 | 12.5% | 25.9% |
| Gloucester County, VA | 34 | 7.5% | 23.5% |
| James City County, VA | 18 | 6.4% | — |
| York County, VA | 13 | 5.3% | — |
| New Kent County, VA | 8 | 4.4% | 10.8% |
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 James City County the poorest county in Virginia?
No, James City County's poverty rate was 6.4% in 2024, 123rd 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, James City County ranks 112th of 133 in the state.
If you're behind on your mortgage in James City 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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James City County Office of Housing
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia
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 James City 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.