Falls Church city, Virginia
Near the national median for unemployment — and 11.0× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 0%).
Main Findings
Falls Church city, Virginia ranks 2,953rd most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Falls Church sits near the national median across major distress indicators.
- 2,953rd of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Least distressed fifth, 129th in Virginia.
- 3% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 39th percentile nationally.
- Transfer-income dependency at 28% — national median 27%, ranked at the 54th percentile.
- Default & Legal domain score 14 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
- Delinquency domain score 13 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
"Falls Church city ranks in the least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands."
"The CDI places this county in the least distressed fifth nationally. The rank is a comparative geography measure across counties, not a national ADI band."
The Indicators Behind Falls Church city's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Falls Church city's value shown alongside VA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Falls Church city | VA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 13 · Rank 2,895 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 6% | 5% | 28th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 1% | 6% | 5% | 5th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 6% | 25% | 23% | 5th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 14 · Rank 2,949 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 9% | 22% | 23% | 5th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 75 | 177 | 126 | 22nd | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 29 · Rank 2,440 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 18% | 22% | 21% | 23rd | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 15% | 19% | 18% | 35th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 39 · Rank 1,980 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 3% | 4% | 39th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 11 · Rank 3,000 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 4% | 18% | 18% | 5th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 8% | 15% | 16% | 5th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 5% | 13% | 14% | 5th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 28% | 28% | 27% | 54th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 1% | 7% | 8% | 5th | 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 Falls Church city data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 154-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Falls Church city ranks 2,953rd 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 21 out of 100 places Falls Church city in the least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,952 counties rank more distressed. Within Virginia, Falls Church city ranks 129th 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, finds Falls Church sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
"Falls Church city ranks in the least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands," 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
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