Monongalia County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.0 | 107,718 people · 51st most distressed in West Virginia
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Monongalia County, WV falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.0 — 2292nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within West Virginia, it ranks 51st of 55 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Monongalia County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 68.6 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 68.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 93
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 97
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 7
Homeownership Rate 95
Rent-to-Income Ratio 51
Debt & Delinquency 41.0
Debt in Collections 47
Medical Debt 47
Student Loan Delinquency 36
Auto Loan Delinquency 67
Credit Card Delinquency 39
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 10
Income & Poverty 41.0
Poverty Rate 79
Income vs. State Median 20
Child Poverty Rate 24
Employment & Wages 35.0
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 8
Business Formation Rate 48
Community Vulnerability 19.2
Uninsured Rate 21
Disability Rate 17

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Monongalia County
Monongalia County, WV 41.0 Normal —
Fayette County, PA 66.2 Serious +25.3
Preston County, WV 52.7 Elevated +11.8
Wetzel County, WV 49.3 Normal +8.3
Greene County, PA 48.0 Normal +7.1
Marion County, WV 46.8 Normal +5.8
Taylor County, WV 45.6 Normal +4.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Monongalia County
LaSalle County, IL 41.0 Normal +0.1
Cape Girardeau County, MO 41.0 Normal +0.1
Yellowstone County, MT 41.1 Normal +0.1
Warren County, NJ 40.8 Normal -0.1
Culpeper County, VA 40.8 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Monongalia 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 Monongalia 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in West Virginia →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Monongalia County has a County Distress Index score of 41.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,292nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 51st in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Monongalia County?

    The primary driver of distress in Monongalia County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 68.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Monongalia County compare to neighboring counties?

    Monongalia County (41.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Fayette County, PA (66.2); Preston County, WV (52.7); Wetzel County, WV (49.3).

  • 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 Monongalia County?

    Monongalia County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 107,718 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.