Russell County, Virginia
Above the national median for unemployment — and 4.4× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Russell County, Virginia ranks 874th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 4% of the labor force is unemployed — above the national median of 4%. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
- 874th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 62.9 · moderate-high county distress, 43rd in Virginia.
- 4% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 73rd percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Disability rate at 32% — national median 16%, ranked at the 100th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 228 — national median 126, ranked at the 81st percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Credit card delinquency at 7% — national median 5%, ranked at the 72nd percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 31-point drop to Washington County marks where the Virginia distress corridor ends.
Russell County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Russell County's uninsured rate indicator is at the 14th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 68th percentile. The gap stands out against disability rate. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Lebanon.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Russell County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Russell County's value shown alongside VA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Russell | VA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 62 · Rank 1,135 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 6% | 5% | 47th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 6% | 5% | 72nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 28% | 25% | 23% | 68th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 64 · Rank 957 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 22% | 22% | 23% | 47th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 228 | 177 | 126 | 81st | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 47 · Rank 1,699 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 21% | 22% | 21% | 52nd | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 16% | 19% | 18% | 41st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 73 · Rank 823 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 73rd | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 69 · Rank 835 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 22% | 18% | 18% | 68th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 32% | 15% | 16% | 100th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 18% | 13% | 14% | 80th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 5% | 7% | 8% | 14th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Russell County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 129-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
LEBANON, Va. — Russell County ranks 874th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 62.9 out of 100 gives Russell a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 873 counties rank more distressed. Within Virginia, Russell ranks 43rd of 133 counties and independent cities.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies labor as the primary driver in Russell. 4% of the labor force is unemployed — above the national median of 4%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Russell County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Russell County's distress score?
How does Russell County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Russell County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →