Lancaster County, Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.9 | 10,859 people · 68th most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

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Lancaster County, VA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.9 — 1832nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Virginia, it ranks 68th of 133 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lancaster County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 51.6 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 51.6
Poverty Rate 42
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 68
Debt & Delinquency 47.0
Debt in Collections 42
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 47
Auto Loan Delinquency 89
Credit Card Delinquency 17
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 80
Housing Cost Burden 46.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 89
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 15
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 79
Homeownership Rate 20
Rent-to-Income Ratio 29
Employment & Wages 46.0
Unemployment Rate 69
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 46
Business Formation Rate 23
Community Vulnerability 43.8
Uninsured Rate 30
Disability Rate 58

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lancaster County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lancaster County
Lancaster County, VA 46.9 Normal —
Essex County, VA 62.1 Elevated +15.2
Accomack County, VA 57.6 Elevated +10.6
Richmond County, VA 53.9 Elevated +6.9
Middlesex County, VA 48.4 Normal +1.4
Northumberland County, VA 44.8 Normal -2.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lancaster County
Fayette County, TN 46.9 Normal -0.0
Presque Isle County, MI 47.0 Normal +0.0
Osage County, KS 47.0 Normal +0.0
Clinton County, IA 46.9 Normal -0.0
Logan County, IL 47.0 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Lancaster County, Virginia?

    Lancaster County has a County Distress Index score of 46.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,832nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 68th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lancaster County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lancaster County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 51.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Lancaster County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lancaster County (46.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Essex County, VA (62.1); Accomack County, VA (57.6); Richmond County, VA (53.9).

  • 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 Lancaster County?

    Lancaster County, Virginia has a population of approximately 10,859 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.