Johnson County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 62.4 | 9,282 people · 122nd most distressed in Georgia
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Johnson County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 62.4 — 810th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Georgia, it ranks 122nd of 159 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Johnson County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 78.0 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 78.0
Unemployment Rate 30
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 65
Child Poverty Rate 93
Disability Rate 81
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Consumer Credit Distress 72.0
Debt in Collections 81
Medical Debt 64
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Uninsured Rate 74
Subprime Credit Population 88
Economic Vitality 66.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 71
Rent-to-Income Ratio 64
Business Formation Rate 61
House Price Change (YoY) 59
Legal Distress 60.1
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 60
Housing Cost Burden 31.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 42
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 20
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 17
Homeownership Rate 46

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Johnson County
Johnson County, GA 62.4 Elevated —
Washington County, GA 79.0 Serious +16.7
Laurens County, GA 74.8 Serious +12.4
Jefferson County, GA 74.5 Serious +12.2
Wilkinson County, GA 73.0 Serious +10.6
Emanuel County, GA 69.6 Serious +7.2
Treutlen County, GA 69.5 Serious +7.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Johnson County
Covington city, VA 62.4 Elevated +0.0
Mitchell County, TX 62.3 Elevated -0.0
Hudspeth County, TX 62.4 Elevated +0.0
Greer County, OK 62.5 Elevated +0.2
Lafayette County, FL 62.6 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Johnson 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 Johnson 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 Johnson County, Georgia?

    Johnson County has a County Distress Index score of 62.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 810th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 122nd in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Johnson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Johnson County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 78.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Johnson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Johnson County (62.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Washington County, GA (79.0); 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 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). Johnson County's score of 62.4 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Johnson 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 Johnson County?

    Johnson County, Georgia has a population of approximately 9,282 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.