Lewis County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.5 | 16,500 people · 25th most distressed in West Virginia
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Lewis County, WV registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.5 — 1335th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within West Virginia, it ranks 25th 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. Lewis County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 70.6 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 70.6
Debt in Collections 84
Medical Debt 79
Student Loan Delinquency 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 89
Credit Card Delinquency 71
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Income & Poverty 61.2
Poverty Rate 70
Income vs. State Median 52
Child Poverty Rate 62
Employment & Wages 48.5
Unemployment Rate 82
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 10
Business Formation Rate 54
Community Vulnerability 46.8
Uninsured Rate 36
Disability Rate 58
Housing Cost Burden 40.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 27
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 66
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 68
Rent-to-Income Ratio 36

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lewis County
Lewis County, WV 53.5 Elevated —
Webster County, WV 70.3 Serious +16.8
Braxton County, WV 57.2 Elevated +3.7
Gilmer County, WV 53.6 Elevated +0.1
Upshur County, WV 53.2 Elevated -0.3
Doddridge County, WV 45.1 Normal -8.4
Harrison County, WV 42.4 Normal -11.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lewis County
Wexford County, MI 53.4 Elevated -0.1
Wayne County, IL 53.4 Elevated -0.1
Cooke County, TX 53.4 Elevated -0.1
Monroe County, WV 53.6 Elevated +0.1
Branch County, MI 53.6 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lewis 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 Lewis 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 Lewis County, West Virginia?

    Lewis County has a County Distress Index score of 53.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,335th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 25th in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lewis County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lewis County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 70.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Lewis County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lewis County (53.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Webster County, WV (70.3); Braxton County, WV (57.2); Gilmer County, WV (53.6).

  • 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 Lewis County?

    Lewis County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 16,500 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.