Preston County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.7 | 34,099 people · 29th most distressed in West Virginia
American Default Research

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Preston County, WV registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.7 — 1396th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within West Virginia, it ranks 29th of 55 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Preston County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 62.0 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 62.0
Poverty Rate 75
Income vs. State Median 42
Child Poverty Rate 69
Employment & Wages 60.9
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 39
Business Formation Rate 83
Community Vulnerability 54.6
Uninsured Rate 39
Disability Rate 70
Debt & Delinquency 53.0
Debt in Collections 60
Medical Debt 62
Student Loan Delinquency 64
Auto Loan Delinquency 44
Credit Card Delinquency 60
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 28
Housing Cost Burden 33.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 38
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 26
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 11
Homeownership Rate 16
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Preston County
Preston County, WV 52.7 Elevated —
Fayette County, PA 66.2 Serious +13.5
Barbour County, WV 48.9 Normal -3.8
Grant County, WV 47.2 Normal -5.5
Taylor County, WV 45.6 Normal -7.1
Tucker County, WV 41.4 Normal -11.3
Monongalia County, WV 41.0 Normal -11.8
Garrett County, MD 40.5 Normal -12.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Preston County
Bourbon County, KY 52.7 Elevated 0.0
Pickens County, GA 52.7 Elevated +0.0
Chester County, TN 52.7 Elevated -0.0
Fayette County, IL 52.7 Elevated -0.0
Elmore County, ID 52.7 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Preston 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 Preston 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 Preston County, West Virginia?

    Preston County has a County Distress Index score of 52.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,396th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Preston County?

    The primary driver of distress in Preston County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 62.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Preston County compare to neighboring counties?

    Preston County (52.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Fayette County, PA (66.2); Barbour County, WV (48.9); Grant County, WV (47.2).

  • 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 Preston County?

    Preston County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 34,099 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.