Madison County, Virginia

County Distress Index: Healthy · 30.2 | 14,128 people · 121st most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

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Madison County, VA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 30.2 — 2878th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Virginia, it ranks 121st of 133 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Madison County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 46.4 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 46.4
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 55
Business Formation Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 31.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 18
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 31
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 80
Homeownership Rate 21
Rent-to-Income Ratio 9
Debt & Delinquency 25.8
Debt in Collections 10
Medical Debt 15
Student Loan Delinquency 47
Auto Loan Delinquency 30
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 47
Community Vulnerability 25.2
Uninsured Rate 21
Disability Rate 29
Income & Poverty 22.1
Poverty Rate 21
Income vs. State Median 19
Child Poverty Rate 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Madison County
Madison County, VA 30.2 Healthy —
Page County, VA 57.7 Elevated +27.5
Culpeper County, VA 40.8 Normal +10.6
Greene County, VA 39.1 Normal +8.9
Orange County, VA 37.3 Normal +7.1
Rappahannock County, VA 36.5 Normal +6.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Madison County
Wright County, IA 30.2 Healthy 0.0
Sibley County, MN 30.2 Healthy +0.0
Davison County, SD 30.1 Healthy -0.1
Ste. Genevieve County, MO 30.1 Healthy -0.1
Codington County, SD 30.5 Healthy +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Madison County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Madison County.

SKYLINE COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP, INC.
Madison
540-948-3916 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingHomeless/Displacement

See all counselors in Virginia →

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 Madison 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Virginia →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Madison County has a County Distress Index score of 30.2 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,878th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 121st in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Madison County?

    The primary driver of distress in Madison County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 46.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Madison County compare to neighboring counties?

    Madison County (30.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Page County, VA (57.7); Culpeper County, VA (40.8); Greene County, VA (39.1).

  • 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 Madison County?

    Madison County, Virginia has a population of approximately 14,128 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.