McDowell County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.0 | 17,439 people · 4th most distressed in West Virginia
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McDowell County, WV shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.0 — 313th 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 4th of 55 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. McDowell County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 95.0 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 95.0
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Community Vulnerability 70.7
Uninsured Rate 46
Disability Rate 95
Employment & Wages 65.0
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 64.4
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 73
Student Loan Delinquency 54
Auto Loan Delinquency 65
Credit Card Delinquency 89
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 10
Housing Cost Burden 44.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 15
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 58
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 13
Homeownership Rate 43
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95

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

Neighbors and Peers

How McDowell County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. McDowell County
McDowell County, WV 68.0 Serious —
Mingo County, WV 68.3 Serious +0.3
Tazewell County, VA 63.7 Elevated -4.3
Buchanan County, VA 63.1 Elevated -4.9
Wyoming County, WV 60.3 Elevated -7.7
Mercer County, WV 59.9 Elevated -8.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. McDowell County
Lawrence County, KY 68.0 Serious +0.0
Cherokee County, OK 68.0 Serious +0.0
Adams County, MS 68.0 Serious +0.0
Poinsett County, AR 68.1 Serious +0.1
Colquitt County, GA 68.1 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in McDowell 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 McDowell 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 McDowell County, West Virginia?

    McDowell County has a County Distress Index score of 68.0 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 313th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in McDowell County?

    The primary driver of distress in McDowell County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does McDowell County compare to neighboring counties?

    McDowell County (68.0) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Mingo County, WV (68.3); Tazewell County, VA (63.7); Buchanan County, VA (63.1).

  • 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 McDowell County?

    McDowell County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 17,439 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.