Emanuel County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 69.6 | 23,119 people · 79th most distressed in Georgia
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Emanuel County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 69.6 — 410th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Georgia, it ranks 79th of 159 counties. Among its 10 neighboring counties, 7 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Emanuel County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 91.0 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 91.0
Debt in Collections 96
Medical Debt 90
Auto Loan Delinquency 96
Credit Card Delinquency 74
Uninsured Rate 92
Subprime Credit Population 96
Structural Poverty 83.3
Unemployment Rate 49
Poverty Rate 96
Income vs. State Median 86
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 84
Transfer Income Dependency 84
Legal Distress 66.3
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 66
Economic Vitality 54.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 55
Rent-to-Income Ratio 82
Business Formation Rate 25
House Price Change (YoY) 20
Housing Cost Burden 23.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 11
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 8
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 13
Homeownership Rate 93

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Emanuel County
Emanuel County, GA 69.6 Serious —
Burke County, GA 78.0 Serious +8.4
Laurens County, GA 74.8 Serious +5.2
Jefferson County, GA 74.5 Serious +4.9
Bulloch County, GA 74.4 Serious +4.8
Jenkins County, GA 72.7 Serious +3.0
Candler County, GA 72.5 Serious +2.8
Toombs County, GA 69.7 Serious +0.0
Treutlen County, GA 69.5 Serious -0.1
Tattnall County, GA 66.2 Serious -3.4
Johnson County, GA 62.4 Elevated -7.2

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Emanuel County
Pickens County, AL 69.6 Serious -0.0
Escambia County, AL 69.6 Serious -0.0
Glades County, FL 69.7 Serious +0.0
Toombs County, GA 69.7 Serious +0.0
Little River County, AR 69.7 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Emanuel County

Find an Attorney

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

State Bar of Georgia Lawyer Referral Service 404-527-8700

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Emanuel County residents at no cost.

Atlanta Legal Aid Society 404-524-5811
Georgia Legal Services Program 1-888-257-4567
Georgia Legal Aid
State Bar of Georgia Lawyer Referral Service 404-527-8700

Self-Help Resources

Georgia Legal Aid — Housing Self-help guides for Georgia foreclosure process, rights, and defenses
DCA Georgia HAF Resources Assistance programs and housing counselor referrals

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Emanuel County, Georgia?

    Emanuel County has a County Distress Index score of 69.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 410th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 79th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Emanuel County?

    The primary driver of distress in Emanuel County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 91.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Emanuel County compare to neighboring counties?

    Emanuel County (69.6) can be compared to its 10 neighboring counties: Burke County, GA (78.0); Laurens County, GA (74.8); Jefferson County, GA (74.5).

  • 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). Emanuel County's score of 69.6 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Emanuel 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 Emanuel County?

    Emanuel County, Georgia has a population of approximately 23,119 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.