Williamsburg County, South Carolina
More than double the national median for credit card delinquency.
Main Findings
Williamsburg County, South Carolina ranks eighth most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 14% of credit card accounts are 60+ days past due — more than double the national median of 5%.
- 8th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 1st in South Carolina.
- 14% of credit card accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Credit card delinquency at the 100th percentile nationally.
- Unemployment at 6% — national median 4%, ranked at the 95th percentile.
- Poverty rate at 25% — national median 14%, ranked at the 95th percentile.
- Severe rent burden (50%+) at 28% — national median 18%, ranked at the 95th percentile.
Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 23-point drop to Berkeley County marks where the Pee Dee SC distress corridor ends.
"Williamsburg County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."
"The CDI places this county in the most distressed fifth nationally. The rank is the important geography signal: it compares the county with every other county-equivalent in the release."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
32% of children under 18 in Williamsburg County live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% 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.
The Indicators Behind Williamsburg County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Williamsburg County's value shown alongside SC's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Williamsburg | SC median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 99 · Rank 4 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 15% | 9% | 5% | 99th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 14% | 8% | 5% | 100th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 45% | 33% | 23% | 99th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 83 · Rank 331 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 45% | 36% | 23% | 98th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 171 | 105 | 126 | 67th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 87 · Rank 228 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 25% | 24% | 21% | 79th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 28% | 21% | 18% | 95th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 95 · Rank 60 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 6% | 4% | 4% | 95th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 89 · Rank 85 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 32% | 24% | 18% | 93rd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 20% | 16% | 16% | 83rd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 25% | 17% | 14% | 95th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 39% | 31% | 27% | 92nd | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 11% | 10% | 8% | 70th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
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 is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. 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 CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Williamsburg County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 150-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
KINGSTREE, S.C. — Williamsburg County ranks eighth among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 91 out of 100 places Williamsburg in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, only 7 rank more distressed. Within South Carolina, Williamsburg ranks first of 46 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies delinquency as the primary driver in Williamsburg. 14% of credit card accounts are 60+ days past due — more than double the national median of 5%.
"Williamsburg County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Williamsburg County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Williamsburg County's distress score?
How does Williamsburg County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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