Wilcox County, Alabama

County Distress Index: Serious · 74.6 | 9,944 people · 10th most distressed in Alabama
American Default Research

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Wilcox County, AL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 74.6 — 201st 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 10th of 67 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Wilcox 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
Structural Poverty 90.7
Unemployment Rate 72
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 86
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Consumer Credit Distress 87.5
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 62
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Uninsured Rate 59
Subprime Credit Population 95
Housing Cost Burden 46.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 30
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 77
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 20
Homeownership Rate 30
Economic Vitality 37.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 94
Business Formation Rate 16
House Price Change (YoY) 67

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Wilcox County
Wilcox County, AL 74.6 Serious —
Dallas County, AL 84.6 Crisis +9.9
Butler County, AL 72.9 Serious -1.7
Marengo County, AL 72.0 Serious -2.7
Lowndes County, AL 70.7 Serious -3.9
Monroe County, AL 65.3 Serious -9.3
Clarke County, AL 63.3 Elevated -11.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Wilcox County
Monroe County, AR 74.6 Serious -0.0
Crosby County, TX 74.8 Serious +0.2
Talbot County, GA 74.4 Serious -0.2
Atkinson County, GA 74.4 Serious -0.2
Menominee County, WI 75.4 Serious +0.7

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Wilcox County has a County Distress Index score of 74.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 201st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Alabama out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wilcox County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wilcox 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 Wilcox County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wilcox County (74.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Dallas County, AL (84.6); Butler County, AL (72.9); Marengo County, AL (72.0).

  • 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 Serious 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). Wilcox County's score of 74.6 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Wilcox 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 Wilcox County?

    Wilcox County, Alabama has a population of approximately 9,944 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.