Newport News city, Virginia
Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 2.7× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Steele County, ND — 12%).
Main Findings
Newport News city, Virginia ranks 235th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a rent-to-income ratio of 32% — above the national median of 21%.
- 235th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 14th in Virginia.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 32% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 98th percentile nationally.
- Subprime credit share at 36% — national median 23%, ranked at the 90th percentile.
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 298 — national median 126, ranked at the 91st percentile.
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 62nd percentile.
Unemployment is 4%, near the national median of 4%, while subprime credit share runs at the 90th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 46-point drop to York County marks where the Virginia distress corridor ends.
"Newport News city ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."
"The CDI places this county in the most distressed fifth nationally. The rank is the important geography signal: it compares the county with every other county-equivalent in the release."
The Indicators Behind Newport News city's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Newport News city's value shown alongside VA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Newport News city | VA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 87 · Rank 332 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 6% | 5% | 86th | 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 | 36% | 25% | 23% | 90th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 86 · Rank 234 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 33% | 22% | 23% | 82nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 298 | 177 | 126 | 91st | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 88 · Rank 207 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 32% | 22% | 21% | 98th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 22% | 19% | 18% | 78th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 62 · Rank 1,243 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 3% | 4% | 62nd | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 58 · Rank 1,242 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 22% | 18% | 18% | 72nd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 15% | 15% | 16% | 38th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 16% | 13% | 14% | 66th | 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 | 9% | 7% | 8% | 55th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
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 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 Newport News city data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 156-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Newport News city ranks 235th 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 76 out of 100 places Newport News city in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 234 counties rank more distressed. Within Virginia, Newport News city ranks 14th 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 debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Newport News. A rent-to-income ratio of 32% — above the national median of 21%.
"Newport News city ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
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