#1,226 Virginia · 2026

King and Queen County, Virginia

Second-most distressed fifth 1,226th of 3,144 counties nationally · 6,720 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
11% King and Queen residents
vs.
5% U.S. median

More than double the national median for auto loan delinquency.

Urban Institute (2024)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 39 words · paste-ready

King and Queen County, Virginia ranks 1,226th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 11% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due — more than double the national median of 5%.

Key Findings
  • 1,226th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 60th in Virginia.
  • 11% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Auto loan delinquency at the 95th percentile nationally.
  • Bankruptcy filing rate at 238 — national median 126, ranked at the 83rd percentile.
  • Rent-to-income ratio at 23% — national median 21%, ranked at the 63rd percentile.
  • Disability rate at 16% — national median 16%, ranked at the 54th percentile.
Distinctive Signals
Labor–Credit Divergence

Unemployment is 3%, near the national median of 4%, while auto loan delinquency runs at the 95th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.

Boundary Signal

Neighbors span four CDI distress fifths. The 38-point drop to New Kent County marks where the Virginia distress corridor ends.

County Distress Index cluster map. King and Queen County, Virginia and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
King and Queen and its 7 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. King and Queen County ranks 1,226th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 30 words

"King and Queen County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 30 words

"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind King and Queen County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. King and Queen County's value shown alongside VA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is King and Queen County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator King and Queen VA median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 78 · Rank 601 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 11% 6% 5% 95th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 8% 6% 5% 83rd Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 25% 25% 23% 55th Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 75 · Rank 584 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 28% 22% 23% 66th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 238 177 126 83rd US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 59 · Rank 1,169 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 23% 22% 21% 63rd HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 19% 19% 18% 54th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 27 · Rank 2,329 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 3% 3% 4% 27th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 45 · Rank 1,750 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 18% 18% 18% 53rd Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 16% 15% 16% 54th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 13% 13% 14% 43rd Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 26% 28% 27% 44th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 5% 7% 8% 18th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Delinquency Primary driver 78
Weight 20% · Rank 601 of 3,144
Default & Legal 75
Weight 20% · Rank 584 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 59
Weight 20% · Rank 1,169 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 45
Weight 20% · Rank 1,750 of 3,144
Labor 27
Weight 20% · Rank 2,329 of 3,144

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 King and Queen County data — in under 60 seconds.

Embed preview — paste into any CMS <iframe src="https://americandefault.org/embed/county/51097/" width="600" height="300" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:8px;" title="King and Queen County, VA — County Distress Index"></iframe>
Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
Draft wire copy 172-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
DRAFT · 172 words · for immediate release · cleared for reuse with attribution to American Default Research

KING AND QUEEN COURT HOUSE, Va. — King and Queen County ranks 1,226th 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 57 out of 100 places King and Queen in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,225 counties rank more distressed. Within Virginia, King and Queen ranks 60th 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 delinquency as the primary driver in King and Queen. 11% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due — more than double the national median of 5%.

"King and Queen County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

— 30 —

Frequently Asked Questions

What is King and Queen County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

King and Queen County scores 57 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the second-most distressed fifth. It ranks 1,226th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 60th of 133 Virginia counties and independent cities. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives King and Queen County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Delinquency, at a domain score of 78. Auto loan delinquency ranks at the 95th percentile nationally.

How does King and Queen County compare to its neighbors?

King and Queen County's neighbors span 4 CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Essex County (68.08, Most distressed fifth). Lowest: New Kent County (29.70, Least distressed fifth).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 16 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

Read more
from Ross →