#56 Virginia · 2026

King and Queen County, Virginia

61 · moderate-high county distress more distressed than 61% of U.S. counties · 56th of 133 counties in Virginia · 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 Debt in America (2025)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 49 words · paste-ready

King and Queen County, Virginia is more distressed than 61% of U.S. counties 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%. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency and its lowest is Labor.

Key Findings
  • 56th of 133 counties in Virginia on the County Distress Index — 61 · moderate-high county distress, more distressed than 61% of U.S. counties.
  • 11% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Auto loan delinquency at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
  • Bankruptcy filing rate at 238 — national median 126, ranked at the 83rd percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
  • Rent-to-income ratio at 23% — national median 21%, ranked at the 71st percentile. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
  • Safety Net & Buffer domain score 45 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
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 five CDI score labels. The 75-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 county distress score label.
King and Queen and its 7 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. King and Queen County is more distressed than 61% of U.S. counties. American Default Research
Wire summary — paste-ready, any angle 23 words

King and Queen County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile.

— American Default Research
Index note — for feature use 31 words

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 Delinquency.

— American Default Research

Indicator History

Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.

Updated Sep 22, 2026
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 1990 to 2025

Unemployment rate

3.2% -1.5 percentage points since 1990
Census 1989 to 2024

Poverty rate

12.5% -2.2 percentage points since 1989
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis 1969 to 2024

Transfer income share

25.9% +16.5 percentage points since 1969
Equifax data retrieved via FRED 2014 Q2 to 2025 Q4

Subprime credit population

24.7% -10.79 percentage points since 2014 Q2

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; higher values represent a higher mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles. A county's domain rank is computed separately against all counties. 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 Debt in America (2025)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 8% 6% 5% 83rd Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 25% 25% 23% 55th Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025)
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 Debt in America (2025)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 238 177 126 83rd Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 56 · Rank 1,234 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 23% 22% 21% 71st 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 17% 20% 18% 41st U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024)
Labor — domain score 34 · Rank 2,229 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) 20% 20% 21% 45th 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) 3% 4% 4% 24th 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 45 · Rank 1,793 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 16% 15% 17% 43rd U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 15% 15% 16% 40th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 12% 12% 13% 44th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 6% 6% 8% 29th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024)
Compiled September 30, 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (2025 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2024, SAIPE 2024, Business Formation Statistics 2025), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS August 2026, QCEW 2025), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2027).

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) 56
Weight 20% · Rank 1,234 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 45
Weight 20% · Rank 1,793 of 3,144
Labor 34
Weight 20% · Rank 2,229 of 3,144

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 King and Queen County data.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · media inquiries welcome
Draft wire copy 144-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
DRAFT · 144 words · for immediate release · cleared for reuse with attribution to American Default Research

KING AND QUEEN COURT HOUSE, Va. — King and Queen County is more distressed than 61% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.

King and Queen scores 61 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 61% of U.S. counties; its score label is moderate-high county distress. Within Virginia, King and Queen ranks 56th 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 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%.

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.

— 30 —

Frequently Asked Questions

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

King and Queen County scores 61 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, which means it is more distressed than 61% of U.S. counties. Its score label is moderate-high county distress. It ranks 56th 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 5 CDI score labels. Highest-distress neighbor: Essex County (84.00, very high county distress). Lowest: New Kent County (9.00, exceptionally low county distress).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI averages 14 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer, then ranks that average against every other county, so the score is the share of U.S. counties a county is more distressed than. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Ross Kilburn is the former COO of Ark Law Group, a foreclosure defense firm serving five states. He founded Seattle Short Sales, wrote Short Sale Your Home, and worked as a mortgage loan originator and real estate agent. He founded American Default Research in 2026.

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