Telfair County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 77.3 | 10,920 people · 37th most distressed in Georgia
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Telfair County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 77.2 — 123rd 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 37th of 159 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. Telfair County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 91.8 — worse than roughly 92% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 91.8
Unemployment Rate 72
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 94
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 94
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Consumer Credit Distress 90.8
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 91
Auto Loan Delinquency 94
Credit Card Delinquency 83
Uninsured Rate 80
Subprime Credit Population 94
Legal Distress 70.6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 71
Economic Vitality 69.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 70
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 38
House Price Change (YoY) 59
Housing Cost Burden 45.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 45
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 48
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 66

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Telfair County
Telfair County, GA 77.3 Serious —
Ben Hill County, GA 77.3 Serious +0.1
Dodge County, GA 74.0 Serious -3.3
Coffee County, GA 71.1 Serious -6.2
Wilcox County, GA 67.6 Serious -9.7
Wheeler County, GA 66.7 Serious -10.5
Jeff Davis County, GA 63.9 Elevated -13.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Telfair County
Pike County, MS 77.3 Serious +0.0
Ben Hill County, GA 77.3 Serious +0.1
Barnwell County, SC 77.4 Serious +0.1
Anson County, NC 77.5 Serious +0.2
Seminole County, OK 77.0 Serious -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Telfair 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 Telfair 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 Telfair County, Georgia?

    Telfair County has a County Distress Index score of 77.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 123rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 37th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Telfair County?

    The primary driver of distress in Telfair County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 91.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Telfair County compare to neighboring counties?

    Telfair County (77.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Ben Hill County, GA (77.3); Dodge County, GA (74.0); Coffee County, GA (71.1).

  • 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). Telfair County's score of 77.3 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Telfair 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 Telfair County?

    Telfair County, Georgia has a population of approximately 10,920 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.