Fredericksburg city, Virginia
Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 3.6× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 10%).
Main Findings
Fredericksburg city, Virginia is more distressed than 67% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. The driver: a rent-to-income ratio of 36% — above the national median of 21%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis) and its lowest is Labor.
- 44th of 133 counties in Virginia on the County Distress Index — 67 · moderate-high county distress, more distressed than 67% of U.S. counties.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 36% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 99th percentile nationally. Source: HUD FMR (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
- Auto loan delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 84th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 252 — national median 126, ranked at the 86th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Safety Net & Buffer domain score 34 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Neighbors span two CDI score labels. The 19-point drop to Stafford County marks where the Virginia distress corridor ends.
Fredericksburg city has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
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
Subprime credit population
Debt in collections
The Indicators Behind Fredericksburg city's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Fredericksburg city's value shown alongside VA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Fredericksburg city | VA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 75 · Rank 676 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 6% | 5% | 84th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 6% | 5% | 64th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 31% | 25% | 23% | 78th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 69 · Rank 773 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 24% | 22% | 23% | 52nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 252 | 177 | 126 | 86th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 91 · Rank 139 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 36% | 22% | 21% | 99th | 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 | 24% | 20% | 18% | 83rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 33 · Rank 2,279 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) | 15% | 20% | 21% | 16th | 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% | 4% | 4% | 49th | 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 34 · Rank 2,250 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 17% | 15% | 17% | 49th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 11% | 15% | 16% | 10th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 12% | 12% | 13% | 42nd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 8% | 6% | 8% | 49th | 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 Fredericksburg city data.
Draft wire copy 130-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Fredericksburg city is more distressed than 67% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Fredericksburg city scores 67 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 67% of U.S. counties; its score label is moderate-high county distress. Within Virginia, Fredericksburg city ranks 44th of 133 counties and independent cities.
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 debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Fredericksburg. A rent-to-income ratio of 36% — above the national median of 21%.
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
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