Tazewell County, Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.7 | 39,120 people · 19th most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Tazewell County, VA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.7 — 583rd 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 19th of 133 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Tazewell County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 90.6 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 90.6
Poverty Rate 89
Income vs. State Median 98
Child Poverty Rate 86
Employment & Wages 70.6
Unemployment Rate 82
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 46
Business Formation Rate 84
Debt & Delinquency 69.3
Debt in Collections 75
Medical Debt 36
Student Loan Delinquency 75
Auto Loan Delinquency 65
Credit Card Delinquency 75
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 89
Community Vulnerability 48.0
Uninsured Rate 14
Disability Rate 82
Housing Cost Burden 39.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 40
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 26
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 3
Homeownership Rate 57
Rent-to-Income Ratio 73

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Tazewell County
Tazewell County, VA 63.7 Elevated —
McDowell County, WV 68.0 Serious +4.3
Buchanan County, VA 63.1 Elevated -0.5
Mercer County, WV 59.9 Elevated -3.8
Smyth County, VA 58.9 Elevated -4.7
Russell County, VA 57.6 Elevated -6.1
Bland County, VA 35.5 Normal -28.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Tazewell County
Clay County, AR 63.7 Elevated 0.0
Claiborne Parish, LA 63.7 Elevated +0.0
Scott County, VA 63.6 Elevated -0.0
Jefferson Davis County, MS 63.7 Elevated +0.0
Vernon Parish, LA 63.6 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Tazewell 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 Tazewell 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Tazewell County has a County Distress Index score of 63.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 583rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 19th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Tazewell County?

    The primary driver of distress in Tazewell County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 90.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Tazewell County compare to neighboring counties?

    Tazewell County (63.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: McDowell County, WV (68.0); Buchanan County, VA (63.1); Mercer County, WV (59.9).

  • 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 Tazewell County?

    Tazewell County, Virginia has a population of approximately 39,120 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.