Wilkes County, Georgia
Above the national median for child poverty rate — and 13.3× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Skagway Municipality, AK — 2%).
Main Findings
Wilkes County, Georgia is more distressed than 88% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. The driver: 32% of children live below the federal poverty line — above the national median of 17%. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer and its lowest is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 53rd of 159 counties in Georgia on the County Distress Index — 88 · very high county distress, more distressed than 88% of U.S. counties.
- 32% of children live below the federal poverty line (U.S. median 17%). Child poverty rate at the 94th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
- Credit card delinquency at 9% — national median 5%, ranked at the 91st percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Debt in collections at 36% — national median 23%, ranked at the 88th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Adults 25-54 not working at 32% — national median 21%, ranked at the 93rd percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
Unemployment is 4%, near the national median of 4%, while credit card delinquency runs at the 91st percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 38-point drop to Oglethorpe County marks where the Georgia distress corridor ends.
Wilkes County has a very high county distress score. The domain table shows which local pressure carries the composite.
The CDI gives this county a very high county distress label. The five-domain profile shows which local pressures carry the score. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024), 32% of children under 18 in Wilkes County live below the federal poverty line, versus 17% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Wilkes County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Wilkes County's value shown alongside GA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Wilkes | GA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 81 · Rank 493 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 8% | 5% | 63rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 8% | 5% | 91st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 36% | 36% | 23% | 90th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 80 · Rank 420 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 36% | 36% | 23% | 88th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 189 | 255 | 126 | 72nd | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 55 · Rank 1,255 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 24% | 24% | 21% | 77th | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 16% | 19% | 18% | 34th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 67 · Rank 881 of 3,144 | |||||
| Adults 25-54 not working Share of adults aged 25 to 54 without a job, leaving out residents of prisons and other institutions (service members count as working) | 32% | 24% | 21% | 93rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Unemployment (average of monthly rates) Share of labor force unemployed, averaged over the monthly rates published for September 2025 to August 2026 (no figures published for October 2025) | 4% | 3% | 4% | 41st | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 86 · Rank 159 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 32% | 24% | 17% | 94th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 18% | 17% | 16% | 65th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 20% | 17% | 13% | 88th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 15% | 13% | 8% | 90th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index scores household financial distress from 0 to 100 for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the five domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every other county to give the score.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2024 to 2027 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Wilkes County data.
Draft wire copy 130-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
WASHINGTON, Ga. — Wilkes County is more distressed than 88% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Wilkes scores 88 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 88% of U.S. counties; its score label is very high county distress. Within Georgia, Wilkes ranks 53rd of 159 counties.
The index, which draws on 14 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies safety net & buffer as the primary driver in Wilkes. 32% of children live below the federal poverty line — above the national median of 17%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Wilkes County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Wilkes County's distress score?
How does Wilkes County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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