Charlotte County, Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.4 | 11,336 people · 36th most distressed in Virginia
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Charlotte County, VA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.4 — 856th 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 Virginia, it ranks 36th of 133 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Charlotte County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 86.4 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 86.4
Unemployment Rate 49
Poverty Rate 88
Income vs. State Median 93
Child Poverty Rate 94
Disability Rate 93
Transfer Income Dependency 91
Legal Distress 77.4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 77
Housing Cost Burden 74.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 71
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 26
Homeownership Rate 66
Consumer Credit Distress 49.6
Debt in Collections 39
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 67
Credit Card Delinquency 76
Uninsured Rate 28
Subprime Credit Population 61
Economic Vitality 41.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 39
Rent-to-Income Ratio 55
Business Formation Rate 44
House Price Change (YoY) 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Charlotte County
Charlotte County, VA 61.4 Elevated —
Prince Edward County, VA 66.7 Serious +5.3
Halifax County, VA 66.5 Serious +5.1
Mecklenburg County, VA 61.9 Elevated +0.5
Lunenburg County, VA 57.4 Elevated -4.0
Appomattox County, VA 45.4 Normal -16.0
Campbell County, VA 43.6 Normal -17.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Charlotte County
Union Parish, LA 61.4 Elevated 0.0
Reeves County, TX 61.4 Elevated 0.0
Pawnee County, OK 61.4 Elevated -0.0
Saluda County, SC 61.4 Elevated +0.0
Winchester city, VA 61.4 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Charlotte County

Find an Attorney

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-552-7977

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Charlotte County residents at no cost.

Virginia Legal Aid Society 540-342-3900
Legal Aid Justice Center 434-977-0553
Legal Services of Northern Virginia 703-778-6800
Virginia Poverty Law Center 804-782-9430
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society 804-648-1012
Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc. (866) 534-5243
Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (757) 827-5078
Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc. (888) 201-2772

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 Charlotte County, Virginia?

    Charlotte County has a County Distress Index score of 61.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 856th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 36th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Charlotte County?

    The primary driver of distress in Charlotte County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 86.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Charlotte County compare to neighboring counties?

    Charlotte County (61.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Prince Edward County, VA (66.7); Halifax County, VA (66.5); Mecklenburg County, VA (61.9).

  • 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). Charlotte County's score of 61.4 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Charlotte 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 Charlotte County?

    Charlotte County, Virginia has a population of approximately 11,336 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.