Wise County, Virginia
Above the national median of residents with debt in collections — and 17.5× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Logan County, ND — 2%).
Main Findings
Wise County, Virginia ranks 579th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 34% of residents with a credit file carry debt in collections — above the national median of 23%. Its highest-scoring domain is Default & Legal.
- 579th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 68.6 · moderate-high county distress, 30th in Virginia.
- 34% of residents with a credit file carry debt in collections (U.S. median 23%). Debt in collections at the 83rd percentile nationally. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 75th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Disability rate at 27% — national median 16%, ranked at the 98th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Credit card delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 83rd percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 21-point drop to Russell County marks where the VA coalfields distress corridor ends.
"Wise 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 Default & Legal."
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
Subprime credit population
Debt in collections
The Indicators Behind Wise County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Wise County's value shown alongside VA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Wise | VA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 69 · Rank 901 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 6% | 5% | 54th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 6% | 5% | 83rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 28% | 25% | 23% | 70th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 78 · Rank 470 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 34% | 22% | 23% | 83rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 196 | 177 | 126 | 74th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 48 · Rank 1,609 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 22% | 22% | 21% | 56th | 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 75 · Rank 745 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 75th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 72 · Rank 717 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 20% | 18% | 18% | 61st | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 27% | 15% | 16% | 98th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 18% | 13% | 14% | 79th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 7% | 7% | 8% | 36th | 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 Wise County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 152-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
WISE, Va. — Wise County ranks 579th 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 68.6 out of 100 gives Wise a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 578 counties rank more distressed. Within Virginia, Wise ranks 30th 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 default & legal as the primary driver in Wise. 34% of residents with a credit file carry debt in collections — above the national median of 23%.
"Wise County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Wise County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Wise County's distress score?
How does Wise County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Wise County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →