Clayton County, Georgia
More than double the national median for subprime credit share.
Main Findings
Clayton County, Georgia ranks 60th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 52% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — more than double the national median of 23%.
- 60th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 5th in Georgia.
- 52% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 100th percentile nationally.
- Debt in collections at 48% — national median 23%, ranked at the 99th percentile.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 38% — national median 21%, ranked at the 99th percentile.
- Uninsured rate at 18% — national median 8%, ranked at the 94th percentile.
Unemployment is 4%, near the national median of 4%, while subprime credit share runs at the 100th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 37-point drop to Fayette County marks where the Atlanta metro distress corridor ends.
"Clayton County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."
"The CDI places this county in the most distressed fifth nationally. The rank is the important geography signal: it compares the county with every other county-equivalent in the release."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
Clayton County's disability rate indicator is at the 11th percentile — while every other indicator in the safety_net_buffer domain sits at or above the 53rd percentile. The gap stands out against EITC % of returns and uninsured rate. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Jonesboro.
The Indicators Behind Clayton County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Clayton County's value shown alongside GA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Clayton | GA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 99 · Rank 5 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 13% | 8% | 5% | 98th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 15% | 8% | 5% | 100th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 52% | 36% | 23% | 100th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 99 · Rank 2 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 48% | 36% | 23% | 99th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 487 | 255 | 126 | 98th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 98 · Rank 7 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 38% | 24% | 21% | 99th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 29% | 19% | 18% | 97th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 55 · Rank 1,375 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 3% | 4% | 55th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 70 · Rank 776 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 27% | 26% | 18% | 84th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 11% | 16% | 16% | 11th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 17% | 18% | 14% | 75th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 28% | 30% | 27% | 53rd | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 18% | 13% | 8% | 94th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Clayton County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 148-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
JONESBORO, Ga. — Clayton County ranks 60th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 84 out of 100 places Clayton in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 59 counties rank more distressed. Within Georgia, Clayton ranks fifth of 159 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies delinquency as the primary driver in Clayton. 52% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — more than double the national median of 23%.
"Clayton County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Clayton County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Clayton County's distress score?
How does Clayton County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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