Barbour County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.9 | 15,378 people · 37th most distressed in West Virginia
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Barbour County, WV falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 48.9 — 1682nd 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 West Virginia, it ranks 37th of 55 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Barbour County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 74.9 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 74.9
Poverty Rate 86
Income vs. State Median 59
Child Poverty Rate 80
Debt & Delinquency 63.4
Debt in Collections 87
Medical Debt 61
Student Loan Delinquency 75
Auto Loan Delinquency 58
Credit Card Delinquency 93
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Employment & Wages 45.7
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 52
Community Vulnerability 41.1
Uninsured Rate 28
Disability Rate 54
Housing Cost Burden 19.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 12
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 6
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 13
Homeownership Rate 22
Rent-to-Income Ratio 43

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Barbour County
Barbour County, WV 48.9 Normal —
Randolph County, WV 59.1 Elevated +10.3
Upshur County, WV 53.2 Elevated +4.3
Preston County, WV 52.7 Elevated +3.8
Taylor County, WV 45.6 Normal -3.3
Harrison County, WV 42.4 Normal -6.5
Tucker County, WV 41.4 Normal -7.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Barbour County
Itasca County, MN 48.8 Normal -0.0
Missaukee County, MI 48.8 Normal -0.0
Mitchell County, NC 48.9 Normal +0.0
Boyle County, KY 48.8 Normal -0.1
Franklin County, NY 49.0 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Barbour County

Find an Attorney

West Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

West Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 304-558-2456

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Barbour County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of West Virginia 1-866-255-4370
Mountain State Justice, Inc. 304-344-3144

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 Barbour County, West Virginia?

    Barbour County has a County Distress Index score of 48.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,682nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 37th in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Barbour County?

    The primary driver of distress in Barbour County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 74.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Barbour County compare to neighboring counties?

    Barbour County (48.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Randolph County, WV (59.1); Upshur County, WV (53.2); Preston County, WV (52.7).

  • 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 Barbour County?

    Barbour County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 15,378 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.