Henry County, Alabama

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.9 | 17,899 people · 48th most distressed in Alabama
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Henry County, AL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.9 — 1083rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Legal Distress, where bankruptcy filing rates are well above the national average. Within Alabama, it ranks 48th of 67 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Henry County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 95.0 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 95.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Consumer Credit Distress 67.1
Debt in Collections 59
Medical Debt 55
Auto Loan Delinquency 88
Credit Card Delinquency 54
Uninsured Rate 50
Subprime Credit Population 83
Structural Poverty 56.3
Unemployment Rate 5
Poverty Rate 70
Income vs. State Median 36
Child Poverty Rate 72
Disability Rate 91
Transfer Income Dependency 62
Housing Cost Burden 40.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 47
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 53
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 14
Homeownership Rate 15
Economic Vitality 24.7
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 28
Business Formation Rate 50
House Price Change (YoY) 67

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Henry County
Henry County, AL 57.9 Elevated —
Early County, GA 77.9 Serious +20.0
Barbour County, AL 72.1 Serious +14.2
Clay County, GA 69.7 Serious +11.8
Houston County, AL 65.3 Serious +7.4
Dale County, AL 62.4 Elevated +4.5

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Henry County
Warren County, TN 57.9 Elevated +0.0
Lewis County, WV 57.9 Elevated +0.0
Jackson County, OK 57.9 Elevated -0.0
Chester County, TN 57.9 Elevated -0.0
Pettis County, MO 58.0 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

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Alabama State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Alabama State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-392-5660

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Henry County, Alabama?

    Henry County has a County Distress Index score of 57.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,083rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 48th in Alabama out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Henry County?

    The primary driver of distress in Henry County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Henry County compare to neighboring counties?

    Henry County (57.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Early County, GA (77.9); Barbour County, AL (72.1); Clay County, GA (69.7).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). 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.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Elevated zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Henry County's score of 57.9 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

  • What data sources power Henry County's CDI score?

    Henry County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Henry County?

    Henry County, Alabama has a population of approximately 17,899 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.