About one in 19 people in York County, Virginia, lives below the poverty line
In York County, 5.3% of people lived below the poverty line. That is lower than in 99% of U.S. counties.
Less distressed than 86% of U.S. counties.
What drives York County's score
In York County, housing costs are the highest-scoring part, at 52.0. Income and the safety net is the lowest part, at 7.0.
The County Distress Index looks at five parts of household money trouble in York County: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each part is scored from 0 to 100, and a higher score means worse off than other counties.
Even so, York County is worse off than most counties on renters paying half their income or more in rent (23.3%, 2020 to 2024).
A longer bar means more trouble. See how the county score works.
- 52.0 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorRenters, 2020–24 Census survey; HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent23.3% · 2020 to 202479th percentile
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income18.3% · fiscal year 202724th percentile
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- 28.7 of 100
Jobs
Unemployment through Sep 2026; adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey
- Unemployment rate, average over the latest year3.5% · Oct 2025 to Sep 202627th percentile
- Adults 25 to 54 not working17.4% · 2020 to 202429th percentile
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- 28.3 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector13.7% · August 202514th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people112.8 · 202542nd percentile
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- 21.7 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, second quarter of 2026
- People with a credit card behind4.5% · August 202532nd percentile
- People with a car or retail loan behind3.5% · August 202525th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score27.3% · second quarter of 20266th percentile
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- 7.0 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- People below the poverty line5.3% · 20240th percentile
- Children below the poverty line5.5% · 20241st percentile
- People with a disability13.2% · 2020 to 202423rd percentile
- People without health insurance3.6% · 2020 to 20245th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$109,281 · 20243rd percentile
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Sources: Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and Census income; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Sep 2026.
How York County has changed
The number of jobs located in York County doubled to 22,567, the highest on the chart
Biggest rise: 2000 to 2005, reaching 19,639. Yearly average of jobs covered by unemployment insurance, every fifth year and 2025, York County, Virginia.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 3.5% | 2025 3.1% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 6.1% | 2024 5.3% |
| Median household incomeCensus SAIPE | 1993 $48,006 | 2024 $109,281 |
The table uses 3.1% for 2025; the score uses 3.5% for the latest year (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026), both from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices.
Dated events in York County's history
1993
A thunderstorm in September 1993 did $5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
1994
A thunderstorm in May 1994 did $5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2020
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 70,045, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
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Since 1972
19 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered York County, 3 of them for flooding. FEMA
York County beside its neighbors
Of the six counties that border York County, five score higher.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton city, VA | 90 | 13.9% | 28.2% |
| Newport News city, VA | 85 | 12.6% | 25.9% |
| Williamsburg city, VA | 66 | 23.3% | — |
| Gloucester County, VA | 34 | 7.5% | 23.5% |
| James City County, VA | 18 | 6.4% | — |
| York County, VA | 13 | 5.3% | — |
| Poquoson city, VA | 4 | 5.8% | — |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Sep 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is York County the poorest county in Virginia?
No, York County's poverty rate was 5.3% in 2024, 129th highest of 133 in Virginia (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Radford city, at 27.2%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, York County ranks 119th of 133 in the state.
If you're behind on your mortgage in York County
Housing counselors approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development work at nonprofit agencies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau describes free foreclosure-avoidance counseling, including help with mortgage-company conversations and available options Source CFPB.
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Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Our help directory lists 1,010 agencies approved for foreclosure counseling, by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Sep 2026, built from Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. The County Distress Index is American Default Research's own calculation; the Urban Institute does not produce or endorse it. Our methodology
- Urban Institute · Debt in America Breno Braga, Signe-Mary McKernan, Samantha Atherton, and Kassandra Martinchek, "Debt in America," last updated November 20, 2025, https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/debt-america-2025. Licensed under ODC-By 1.0.
- Rent on a two-bedroom and household income The rent share compares HUD fair market rent for fiscal year 2027 with Census Bureau median household income for 2024. The page calls this the typical household's income.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.