Lexington city, Virginia

County Distress Index: Normal · 40.4 | 7,528 people · 100th most distressed in Virginia
American Default Research

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Lexington city, VA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 40.4 — 2169th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Virginia, it ranks 100th of 133 counties. It scores higher than all 1 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Lexington city's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 82.2 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 82.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 74
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 93
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 54
Homeownership Rate 95
Structural Poverty 49.8
Unemployment Rate 67
Poverty Rate 90
Income vs. State Median 60
Child Poverty Rate 14
Disability Rate 8
Transfer Income Dependency 55
Economic Vitality 42.4
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 42
Rent-to-Income Ratio 32
Business Formation Rate 75
House Price Change (YoY) 13
Consumer Credit Distress 23.1
Debt in Collections 15
Medical Debt 20
Auto Loan Delinquency 62
Credit Card Delinquency 27
Uninsured Rate 5
Subprime Credit Population 5
Legal Distress 5.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 6

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Lexington city
Lexington city, VA 40.4 Normal —
Rockbridge County, VA 32.5 Healthy -7.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Lexington city
Nome Census Area, AK 40.5 Normal +0.1
Monroe County, MO 40.3 Normal -0.1
Clearwater County, ID 40.5 Normal +0.2
Hardin County, IL 40.6 Normal +0.2
Furnas County, NE 40.2 Normal -0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Lexington city as a CSV file.

Find Help in Lexington city

Find an Attorney

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-552-7977

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Lexington city residents at no cost.

Virginia Legal Aid Society 540-342-3900
Legal Aid Justice Center 434-977-0553
Legal Services of Northern Virginia 703-778-6800
Virginia Poverty Law Center 804-782-9430
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society 804-648-1012
Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc. (866) 534-5243
Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (757) 827-5078
Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc. (888) 201-2772

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Lexington city, Virginia?

    Lexington city has a County Distress Index score of 40.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,169th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 100th in Virginia out of 133 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lexington city?

    The primary driver of distress in Lexington city is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 82.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Lexington city compare to neighboring counties?

    Lexington city (40.4) can be compared to its 1 neighboring county: Rockbridge County, VA (32.5).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Normal zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Lexington city's score of 40.4 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

  • What data sources power Lexington city's CDI score?

    Lexington city's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Lexington city?

    Lexington city, Virginia has a population of approximately 7,528 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.