Essex County, Virginia
3× the national median for bankruptcy filing rate — and 56.9× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Glacier County, MT — 7).
Main Findings
Essex County, Virginia ranks 574th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a bankruptcy filing rate of 415 — more than double the national median of 126.
- 574th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 29th in Virginia.
- A bankruptcy filing rate of 415 (U.S. median 126). Bankruptcy filing rate at the 95th percentile nationally.
- Auto loan delinquency at 12% — national median 5%, ranked at the 95th percentile.
- Severe rent burden (50%+) at 22% — national median 18%, ranked at the 74th percentile.
- Transfer-income dependency at 33% — national median 27%, ranked at the 76th percentile.
Unemployment is 4%, near the national median of 4%, while auto loan delinquency runs at the 95th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span four CDI distress fifths. The 35-point drop to King George County marks where the Virginia distress corridor ends.
"Essex 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."
The Indicators Behind Essex County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Essex County's value shown alongside VA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Essex | VA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 77 · Rank 621 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 12% | 6% | 5% | 95th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 6% | 5% | 64th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 29% | 25% | 23% | 73rd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 81 · Rank 398 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 28% | 22% | 23% | 67th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 415 | 177 | 126 | 95th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 63 · Rank 987 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 21% | 22% | 21% | 52nd | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 22% | 19% | 18% | 74th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 58 · Rank 1,352 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 3% | 4% | 58th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 61 · Rank 1,139 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 21% | 18% | 18% | 64th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 16% | 15% | 16% | 51st | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 13% | 13% | 14% | 46th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 33% | 28% | 27% | 76th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 10% | 7% | 8% | 66th | 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 Essex County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 150-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
TAPPAHANNOCK, Va. — Essex County ranks 574th 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 68 out of 100 places Essex in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 573 counties rank more distressed. Within Virginia, Essex ranks 29th of 133 counties and independent cities.
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 default & legal as the primary driver in Essex. A bankruptcy filing rate of 415 — more than double the national median of 126.
"Essex 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 Essex County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Essex County's distress score?
How does Essex County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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