Raleigh County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.0 | 72,356 people · 22nd most distressed in West Virginia
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Raleigh County, WV registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.0 — 1210th 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 22nd of 55 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Raleigh County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 63.9 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 63.9
Poverty Rate 79
Income vs. State Median 48
Child Poverty Rate 65
Housing Cost Burden 58.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 64
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 91
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 35
Homeownership Rate 49
Rent-to-Income Ratio 51
Debt & Delinquency 57.4
Debt in Collections 78
Medical Debt 77
Student Loan Delinquency 1
Auto Loan Delinquency 79
Credit Card Delinquency 79
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 30
Community Vulnerability 53.3
Uninsured Rate 13
Disability Rate 93
Employment & Wages 42.6
Unemployment Rate 74
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 13
Business Formation Rate 41

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Raleigh County
Raleigh County, WV 55.0 Elevated —
Boone County, WV 66.2 Serious +11.1
Fayette County, WV 63.6 Elevated +8.6
Summers County, WV 62.5 Elevated +7.5
Wyoming County, WV 60.3 Elevated +5.3
Mercer County, WV 59.9 Elevated +4.8
Kanawha County, WV 53.2 Elevated -1.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Raleigh County
Blount County, AL 55.0 Elevated +0.0
Creek County, OK 55.1 Elevated +0.0
Oswego County, NY 55.0 Elevated -0.0
Jackson County, AL 55.1 Elevated +0.1
Greenwood County, SC 55.1 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh County, West Virginia?

    Raleigh County has a County Distress Index score of 55.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,210th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 22nd in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Raleigh County?

    The primary driver of distress in Raleigh County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 63.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Raleigh County compare to neighboring counties?

    Raleigh County (55.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Boone County, WV (66.2); Fayette County, WV (63.6); Summers County, WV (62.5).

  • 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 Raleigh County?

    Raleigh County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 72,356 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.