Jackson County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.1 | 27,593 people · 28th most distressed in West Virginia
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Jackson County, WV registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.1 — 1367th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within West Virginia, it ranks 28th of 55 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jackson County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 61.3 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 61.3
Unemployment Rate 90
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 7
Business Formation Rate 87
Debt & Delinquency 58.8
Debt in Collections 65
Medical Debt 50
Student Loan Delinquency 78
Auto Loan Delinquency 72
Credit Card Delinquency 56
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 31
Community Vulnerability 58.7
Uninsured Rate 31
Disability Rate 86
Income & Poverty 57.6
Poverty Rate 60
Income vs. State Median 54
Child Poverty Rate 59
Housing Cost Burden 29.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 27
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 38
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 8
Homeownership Rate 35
Rent-to-Income Ratio 38

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Jackson County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jackson County
Jackson County, WV 53.1 Elevated —
Meigs County, OH 68.3 Serious +15.2
Roane County, WV 57.5 Elevated +4.4
Kanawha County, WV 53.2 Elevated +0.1
Wood County, WV 51.8 Elevated -1.3
Mason County, WV 50.4 Elevated -2.7
Wirt County, WV 47.0 Normal -6.1
Putnam County, WV 35.6 Normal -17.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jackson County
Oglethorpe County, GA 53.1 Elevated +0.0
Cortland County, NY 53.2 Elevated +0.1
Pecos County, TX 53.2 Elevated +0.1
Upshur County, WV 53.2 Elevated +0.1
Cherokee County, KS 53.0 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jackson 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 Jackson County residents at no cost.

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Jackson County, West Virginia?

    Jackson County has a County Distress Index score of 53.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,367th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 28th in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jackson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jackson County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 61.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Jackson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jackson County (53.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Meigs County, OH (68.3); Roane County, WV (57.5); Kanawha County, WV (53.2).

  • 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 Jackson County?

    Jackson County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 27,593 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.