Morgan County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 35.8 | 17,649 people · 53rd most distressed in West Virginia
American Default Research

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Morgan County, WV falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 35.8 — 2603rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within West Virginia, it ranks 53rd of 55 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Morgan County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 47.2 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 47.2
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 50
Business Formation Rate 46
Community Vulnerability 44.0
Uninsured Rate 35
Disability Rate 53
Debt & Delinquency 36.6
Debt in Collections 42
Medical Debt 72
Student Loan Delinquency 47
Auto Loan Delinquency 19
Credit Card Delinquency 12
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 28
Income & Poverty 29.0
Poverty Rate 26
Income vs. State Median 21
Child Poverty Rate 40
Housing Cost Burden 22.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 31
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 33
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 15
Homeownership Rate 7
Rent-to-Income Ratio 25

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Morgan County
Morgan County, WV 35.8 Normal —
Allegany County, MD 62.6 Elevated +26.8
Washington County, MD 53.5 Elevated +17.7
Hampshire County, WV 52.5 Elevated +16.7
Berkeley County, WV 44.6 Normal +8.8
Frederick County, VA 32.7 Healthy -3.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Morgan County
Vilas County, WI 35.8 Normal +0.0
Livingston County, IL 35.7 Normal -0.0
Steuben County, IN 35.7 Normal -0.0
Floyd County, IA 35.8 Normal +0.0
Madison County, NE 35.7 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Morgan 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 Morgan 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 Morgan County, West Virginia?

    Morgan County has a County Distress Index score of 35.8 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,603rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 53rd in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Morgan County?

    The primary driver of distress in Morgan County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 47.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Morgan County compare to neighboring counties?

    Morgan County (35.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Allegany County, MD (62.6); Washington County, MD (53.5); Hampshire County, WV (52.5).

  • 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 Morgan County?

    Morgan County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 17,649 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.