Orange County, Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 37.3 | 38,574 people · 104th most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

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Orange County, VA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 37.3 — 2521st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Virginia, it ranks 104th of 133 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Orange County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 51.0 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 51.0
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 80
Business Formation Rate 35
Debt & Delinquency 42.6
Debt in Collections 34
Medical Debt 16
Student Loan Delinquency 50
Auto Loan Delinquency 33
Credit Card Delinquency 42
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 80
Housing Cost Burden 40.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 50
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 51
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 53
Homeownership Rate 30
Rent-to-Income Ratio 19
Community Vulnerability 38.9
Uninsured Rate 35
Disability Rate 43
Income & Poverty 13.0
Poverty Rate 7
Income vs. State Median 12
Child Poverty Rate 20

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Orange County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Orange County
Orange County, VA 37.3 Normal —
Culpeper County, VA 40.8 Normal +3.5
Louisa County, VA 40.2 Normal +2.9
Spotsylvania County, VA 39.2 Normal +1.9
Greene County, VA 39.1 Normal +1.9
Albemarle County, VA 30.6 Healthy -6.6
Madison County, VA 30.2 Healthy -7.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Orange County
Polk County, WI 37.3 Normal -0.0
Teller County, CO 37.3 Normal +0.1
Redwood County, MN 37.2 Normal -0.1
Lincoln County, ME 37.1 Normal -0.1
Defiance County, OH 37.5 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Orange 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 Orange 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Orange County has a County Distress Index score of 37.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,521st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 104th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Orange County?

    The primary driver of distress in Orange County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 51.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Orange County compare to neighboring counties?

    Orange County (37.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Culpeper County, VA (40.8); Louisa County, VA (40.2); Spotsylvania County, VA (39.2).

  • 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 Orange County?

    Orange County, Virginia has a population of approximately 38,574 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.