Summers County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 62.5 | 11,581 people · 9th most distressed in West Virginia
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Summers County, WV registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 62.5 — 653rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within West Virginia, it ranks 9th of 55 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Summers County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 89.4 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 89.4
Poverty Rate 92
Income vs. State Median 87
Child Poverty Rate 89
Debt & Delinquency 67.0
Debt in Collections 73
Medical Debt 57
Student Loan Delinquency 54
Auto Loan Delinquency 86
Credit Card Delinquency 94
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 38
Employment & Wages 65.7
Unemployment Rate 83
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 47
Business Formation Rate 67
Community Vulnerability 53.2
Uninsured Rate 11
Disability Rate 95
Housing Cost Burden 37.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 40
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 35
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 25
Homeownership Rate 15
Rent-to-Income Ratio 71

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Summers County
Summers County, WV 62.5 Elevated —
Fayette County, WV 63.6 Elevated +1.1
Mercer County, WV 59.9 Elevated -2.7
Greenbrier County, WV 57.3 Elevated -5.3
Raleigh County, WV 55.0 Elevated -7.5
Monroe County, WV 53.6 Elevated -8.9
Giles County, VA 38.8 Normal -23.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Summers County
Pickens County, AL 62.5 Elevated -0.0
Pike County, AL 62.5 Elevated -0.0
Winn Parish, LA 62.5 Elevated -0.0
Saluda County, SC 62.6 Elevated +0.1
Colfax County, NM 62.6 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Summers 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 Summers 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 Summers County, West Virginia?

    Summers County has a County Distress Index score of 62.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 653rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 9th in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Summers County?

    The primary driver of distress in Summers County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 89.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Summers County compare to neighboring counties?

    Summers County (62.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Fayette County, WV (63.6); Mercer County, WV (59.9); Greenbrier County, WV (57.3).

  • 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 Summers County?

    Summers County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 11,581 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.