Lynchburg city, Virginia
Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).
Main Findings
Lynchburg city, Virginia is more distressed than 80% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. The driver: 29% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis) and its lowest is Safety Net & Buffer.
- 28th of 133 counties in Virginia on the County Distress Index — 80 · very high county distress, more distressed than 80% of U.S. counties.
- 29% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 220 — national median 126, ranked at the 80th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Auto loan delinquency at 7% — national median 5%, ranked at the 71st percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Unemployment (average of monthly rates) at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 74th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 36-point drop to Bedford County marks where the Virginia distress corridor ends.
Lynchburg city has a very high county distress score. The domain table shows which local pressure carries the composite.
The CDI gives this county a very high county distress label. The five-domain profile shows which local pressures carry the score. 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 Lynchburg city's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Lynchburg city's value shown alongside VA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Lynchburg city | VA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 69 · Rank 921 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 6% | 5% | 71st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 6% | 5% | 69th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 28% | 25% | 23% | 66th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 69 · Rank 761 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 26% | 22% | 23% | 59th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 220 | 177 | 126 | 80th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 84 · Rank 304 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 23% | 22% | 21% | 72nd | 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 | 29% | 20% | 18% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 62 · Rank 1,080 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) | 21% | 20% | 21% | 50th | 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) | 5% | 4% | 4% | 74th | 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 56 · Rank 1,327 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 20% | 15% | 17% | 65th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 14% | 15% | 16% | 29th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 18% | 12% | 13% | 79th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 6% | 6% | 8% | 32nd | 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 Lynchburg city data.
Draft wire copy 136-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
LYNCHBURG, Va. — Lynchburg city is more distressed than 80% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Lynchburg city scores 80 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 80% of U.S. counties; its score label is very high county distress. Within Virginia, Lynchburg city ranks 28th 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 Lynchburg. 29% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%.
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
What is Lynchburg city's CDI score, and what does it mean?
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How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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