Richmond County, Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.9 | 9,184 people · 53rd most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

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Richmond County, VA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.9 — 1300th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Virginia, it ranks 53rd of 133 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Richmond County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 65.7 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 65.7
Poverty Rate 65
Income vs. State Median 63
Child Poverty Rate 69
Debt & Delinquency 63.3
Debt in Collections 64
Medical Debt 20
Student Loan Delinquency 47
Auto Loan Delinquency 70
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 92
Employment & Wages 58.4
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 78
Business Formation Rate 48
Community Vulnerability 48.4
Uninsured Rate 38
Disability Rate 59
Housing Cost Burden 33.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 9
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 20
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 7
Homeownership Rate 69
Rent-to-Income Ratio 63

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Richmond County
Richmond County, VA 53.9 Elevated —
Essex County, VA 62.1 Elevated +8.3
Westmoreland County, VA 62.0 Elevated +8.2
Middlesex County, VA 48.4 Normal -5.5
Lancaster County, VA 46.9 Normal -6.9
Northumberland County, VA 44.8 Normal -9.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Richmond County
Schuyler County, MO 53.8 Elevated -0.0
Copper River Census Area, AK 53.8 Elevated -0.1
Mineral County, CO 53.7 Elevated -0.1
Hardin County, IL 54.0 Elevated +0.1
Castro County, TX 53.7 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Richmond 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 Richmond 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 Richmond County, Virginia?

    Richmond County has a County Distress Index score of 53.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,300th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 53rd in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Richmond County?

    The primary driver of distress in Richmond County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 65.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Richmond County compare to neighboring counties?

    Richmond County (53.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Essex County, VA (62.1); Westmoreland County, VA (62.0); 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 Richmond County?

    Richmond County, Virginia has a population of approximately 9,184 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.