Wetzel County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.3 | 13,890 people · 36th most distressed in West Virginia
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Wetzel County, WV falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.3 — 1652nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within West Virginia, it ranks 36th of 55 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Wetzel County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 66.3 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 66.3
Unemployment Rate 94
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 10
Business Formation Rate 95
Income & Poverty 62.5
Poverty Rate 75
Income vs. State Median 36
Child Poverty Rate 76
Community Vulnerability 49.5
Uninsured Rate 8
Disability Rate 91
Debt & Delinquency 47.8
Debt in Collections 64
Medical Debt 49
Student Loan Delinquency 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 29
Credit Card Delinquency 32
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 17
Housing Cost Burden 20.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 24
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 24
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 6
Homeownership Rate 9
Rent-to-Income Ratio 39

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Wetzel County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Wetzel County
Wetzel County, WV 49.3 Normal —
Monroe County, OH 55.0 Elevated +5.7
Marshall County, WV 49.3 Normal +0.0
Tyler County, WV 48.5 Normal -0.8
Greene County, PA 48.0 Normal -1.3
Marion County, WV 46.8 Normal -2.5
Doddridge County, WV 45.1 Normal -4.1
Harrison County, WV 42.4 Normal -6.9
Monongalia County, WV 41.0 Normal -8.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Wetzel County
Carroll County, KY 49.3 Normal 0.0
Cleburne County, AL 49.3 Normal -0.0
Venango County, PA 49.3 Normal +0.0
Marshall County, WV 49.3 Normal +0.0
Williams County, OH 49.2 Normal -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wetzel 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 Wetzel 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 Wetzel County, West Virginia?

    Wetzel County has a County Distress Index score of 49.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,652nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 36th in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wetzel County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wetzel County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 66.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Wetzel County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wetzel County (49.3) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Monroe County, OH (55.0); Marshall County, WV (49.3); Tyler County, WV (48.5).

  • 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 Wetzel County?

    Wetzel County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 13,890 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.