Pendleton County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.6 | 6,029 people · 47th most distressed in West Virginia
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Pendleton County, WV falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.6 — 2031st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage gaps and disability rates are moderately elevated. Within West Virginia, it ranks 47th of 55 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pendleton County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 58.0 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 58.0
Uninsured Rate 42
Disability Rate 74
Income & Poverty 55.0
Poverty Rate 53
Income vs. State Median 47
Child Poverty Rate 65
Employment & Wages 46.7
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 57
Business Formation Rate 42
Debt & Delinquency 42.8
Debt in Collections 41
Medical Debt 66
Student Loan Delinquency 54
Auto Loan Delinquency 20
Credit Card Delinquency 71
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 20.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 21
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 34
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 9
Rent-to-Income Ratio 33

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pendleton County
Pendleton County, WV 44.6 Normal —
Randolph County, WV 59.1 Elevated +14.5
Pocahontas County, WV 50.2 Elevated +5.6
Hardy County, WV 49.7 Normal +5.1
Grant County, WV 47.2 Normal +2.6
Highland County, VA 46.3 Normal +1.7
Augusta County, VA 37.6 Normal -6.9
Rockingham County, VA 35.2 Normal -9.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pendleton County
Crockett County, TX 44.6 Normal 0.0
Frontier County, NE 44.5 Normal -0.0
Columbia County, WA 44.5 Normal -0.1
Jones County, SD 44.7 Normal +0.1
Arthur County, NE 44.7 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pendleton 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 Pendleton 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 Pendleton County, West Virginia?

    Pendleton County has a County Distress Index score of 44.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,031st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 47th in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pendleton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pendleton County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 58.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Pendleton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pendleton County (44.6) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Randolph County, WV (59.1); Pocahontas County, WV (50.2); Hardy County, WV (49.7).

  • 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 Pendleton County?

    Pendleton County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 6,029 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.