Upson County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 79.6 | 28,263 people · 25th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Upson County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 79.6 — 74th 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 25th of 159 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Upson County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 89.4 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 89.4
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 96
Auto Loan Delinquency 79
Credit Card Delinquency 90
Uninsured Rate 74
Subprime Credit Population 95
Legal Distress 85.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 86
Housing Cost Burden 80.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 76
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 99
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 21
Homeownership Rate 89
Structural Poverty 63.5
Unemployment Rate 30
Poverty Rate 76
Income vs. State Median 52
Child Poverty Rate 83
Disability Rate 65
Transfer Income Dependency 72
Economic Vitality 45.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 41
Rent-to-Income Ratio 53
Business Formation Rate 36
House Price Change (YoY) 59

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Upson County
Upson County, GA 79.6 Serious —
Taylor County, GA 80.0 Crisis +0.4
Meriwether County, GA 76.1 Serious -3.5
Talbot County, GA 74.4 Serious -5.2
Crawford County, GA 67.8 Serious -11.8
Lamar County, GA 63.4 Elevated -16.2
Pike County, GA 57.6 Elevated -22.0
Monroe County, GA 55.2 Elevated -24.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Upson County
Haywood County, TN 79.5 Serious -0.0
Marshall County, MS 79.7 Serious +0.1
Lauderdale County, TN 79.4 Serious -0.2
Desha County, AR 79.8 Serious +0.2
Bamberg County, SC 79.8 Serious +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Upson 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 Upson 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 Upson County, Georgia?

    Upson County has a County Distress Index score of 79.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 74th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 25th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Upson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Upson County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 89.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Upson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Upson County (79.6) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Taylor County, GA (80.0); Meriwether County, GA (76.1); Talbot County, GA (74.4).

  • 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). Upson County's score of 79.6 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Upson 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 Upson County?

    Upson County, Georgia has a population of approximately 28,263 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.