Montgomery County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 62.8 | 8,761 people · 119th most distressed in Georgia
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Montgomery County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 62.8 — 780th 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 119th of 159 counties. It scores lower than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Montgomery County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 84.1 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 84.1
Debt in Collections 93
Medical Debt 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 61
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Uninsured Rate 87
Subprime Credit Population 84
Structural Poverty 65.4
Unemployment Rate 64
Poverty Rate 88
Income vs. State Median 58
Child Poverty Rate 88
Disability Rate 33
Transfer Income Dependency 66
Economic Vitality 61.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 77
Rent-to-Income Ratio 58
Business Formation Rate 31
House Price Change (YoY) 59
Housing Cost Burden 28.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 43
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 39
Homeownership Rate 41
Legal Distress 25.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Montgomery County
Montgomery County, GA 62.8 Elevated —
Toombs County, GA 69.7 Serious +6.9
Treutlen County, GA 69.5 Serious +6.7
Wheeler County, GA 66.7 Serious +3.9
Jeff Davis County, GA 63.9 Elevated +1.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Montgomery County
Lafayette County, FL 62.6 Elevated -0.2
Greer County, OK 62.5 Elevated -0.3
Hudspeth County, TX 62.4 Elevated -0.4
Covington city, VA 62.4 Elevated -0.4
Johnson County, GA 62.4 Elevated -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Montgomery County has a County Distress Index score of 62.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 780th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 119th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Montgomery County?

    The primary driver of distress in Montgomery County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 84.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Montgomery County compare to neighboring counties?

    Montgomery County (62.8) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Toombs County, GA (69.7); Treutlen County, GA (69.5); Wheeler County, GA (66.7).

  • 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). Montgomery County's score of 62.8 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Montgomery 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 Montgomery County?

    Montgomery County, Georgia has a population of approximately 8,761 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.