Mathews County, Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.2 | 8,514 people · 78th most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

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Mathews County, VA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.2 — 2060th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Virginia, it ranks 78th of 133 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Mathews County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 64.0 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 64.0
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 52
Community Vulnerability 63.0
Uninsured Rate 44
Disability Rate 82
Debt & Delinquency 40.8
Debt in Collections 28
Medical Debt 19
Student Loan Delinquency 47
Auto Loan Delinquency 81
Credit Card Delinquency 8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 61
Housing Cost Burden 29.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 15
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 21
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 13
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 92
Income & Poverty 24.0
Poverty Rate 14
Income vs. State Median 25
Child Poverty Rate 33

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Mathews County
Mathews County, VA 44.2 Normal —
Northampton County, VA 60.9 Elevated +16.7
Accomack County, VA 57.6 Elevated +13.4
Middlesex County, VA 48.4 Normal +4.2
Gloucester County, VA 41.0 Normal -3.2
York County, VA 33.8 Healthy -10.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Mathews County
Pleasants County, WV 44.2 Normal +0.0
Lincoln County, KS 44.2 Normal +0.0
Ochiltree County, TX 44.2 Normal +0.0
Kent County, TX 44.3 Normal +0.1
Phillips County, MT 44.1 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Mathews 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 Mathews 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 Mathews County, Virginia?

    Mathews County has a County Distress Index score of 44.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,060th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 78th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Mathews County?

    The primary driver of distress in Mathews County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 64.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Mathews County compare to neighboring counties?

    Mathews County (44.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Northampton County, VA (60.9); Accomack County, VA (57.6); Middlesex County, VA (48.4).

  • 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 Mathews County?

    Mathews County, Virginia has a population of approximately 8,514 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.