About one in 15 people in King William County, Virginia, lives below the poverty line
In King William County, 6.6% of people lived below the poverty line. That is lower than in 97% of U.S. counties.
Less distressed than 59% of U.S. counties.
What drives King William County's score
In King William County, housing costs are the highest-scoring part, at 78.5. Jobs are the lowest part, at 10.0. About one in nine adults aged 25 to 54 (11.2%, 2020 to 2024) isn't working, a lower share than in 95% of U.S. counties.
The County Distress Index looks at five parts of household money trouble in King William 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, King William County is worse off than most counties on renters paying half their income or more in rent (29.1%, 2020 to 2024) and bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people (310, 2025).
A longer bar means more trouble. See how the county score works.
- 78.5 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 rent29.1% · 2020 to 2024top 5%
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income21.9% · fiscal year 202761st percentile
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- 69.1 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector22.1% · August 202546th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people310 · 202591st percentile
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- 51.3 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, second quarter of 2026
- People with a credit card behind7.6% · August 202580th percentile
- People with a car or retail loan behind4.6% · August 202541st percentile
- People with a subprime credit score35.9% · second quarter of 202632nd percentile
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- 13.0 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- People below the poverty line6.6% · 20245th or lower percentile
- Children below the poverty line7.7% · 20245th percentile
- People with a disability12.8% · 2020 to 202420th percentile
- People without health insurance5.3% · 2020 to 202423rd percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$90,466 · 202410th percentile
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- 10.0 of 100
Jobs
Unemployment through Sep 2026; adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey
- Unemployment rate, average over the latest year3.1% · Oct 2025 to Sep 202614th percentile
- Adults 25 to 54 not working11.2% · 2020 to 20245th or lower 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.
Where the money in King William County comes from
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In King William County, 16.8% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally that year.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
King William County
Virginia
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In King William County, benefit checks' share of income has tripled since 1969, reaching 20.2% in 2024, but pay from work still brings in about three times as much as benefit checks
In King William County, Virginia, benefit checks' share of income tripled from 1969 to 2024, reaching 20.2%; pay from work is plotted alongside. Every fifth year and 2024 are shown.
- Benefit checks
- Pay from work
The share of households in King William County getting SNAP food aid had its largest rise, from 5.7% in 2010 to 7.7% in 2011.
The share of households in King William County getting SNAP food aid was at its highest on the chart in 2012 and has since fallen by about a fifth
Low on the chart: 5.7% in 2009. Households getting SNAP, every year; each bar is a five-year survey estimate ending that year, so neighboring bars share most of their data, King William County, Virginia.
How King William County has changed
King William County's population had its largest rise, from 13,975 in 2004 to 15,768 in 2009.
King William County's population more than doubled from 1969 to 2024, reaching 19,232, with no dip in any year shown
Smallest rise: 2009 to 2014, reaching 16,266. Residents, yearly estimate, every fifth year and 2024, King William County, Virginia.
The number of jobs located in King William County fell most sharply on the way to its 2010 low, from 3,991 in 2005 to 3,397 in 2010.
The number of jobs located in King William County rose by about a fifth to 4,314, the highest on the chart
High on the chart: 4,314 in 2025. Yearly average of jobs covered by unemployment insurance, every fifth year and 2025, King William County, Virginia.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 3.1% | 2025 2.9% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 8.2% | 2024 6.6% |
| Median household incomeCensus SAIPE | 1989 $31,071 | 2024 $90,466 |
The table uses 2.9% for 2025; the score uses 3.1% 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 King William County's history
1702
English colonists formed King William County in 1702 out of King and Queen County. Wikipedia
1990
A tornado in October 1990 did $2.5 million in property damage and killed one person. NOAA Storm Events Database
2004
A flash flood in August 2004 did $1 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2020
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 17,810, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
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Since 1969
24 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered King William County, 5 of them for flooding. FEMA
King William County beside its neighbors
Of the four counties that border King William County, two score higher. For the share of income from benefit checks, King William County ranks 3rd of the five; King and Queen County is highest, at 25.9%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| King and Queen County, VA | 59 | 12.5% | 25.9% |
| Caroline County, VA | 46 | 10.4% | 22.7% |
| King William County, VA | 40 | 6.6% | 20.2% |
| New Kent County, VA | 8 | 4.4% | 10.8% |
| Hanover County, VA | 7 | 6.1% | 15.2% |
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: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is King William County the poorest county in Virginia?
No, King William County's poverty rate was 6.6% in 2024, 119th 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, King William County ranks 83rd of 133 in the state.
If you're behind on your mortgage in King William 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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Legal Services of Northern 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 King William 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.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in King William County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.