Sussex County, Virginia
More than double the national median for auto loan delinquency.
Main Findings
Sussex County, Virginia is more distressed than 87% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. The driver: 12% 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.
- 17th of 133 counties in Virginia on the County Distress Index — 87 · very high county distress, more distressed than 87% of U.S. counties.
- 12% 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 400 — national median 126, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 37% — national median 21%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
- Poverty rate at 22% — national median 13%, ranked at the 92nd percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
Unemployment is 4%, near the national median of 4%, while auto loan delinquency runs at the 95th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span five CDI score labels. The 51-point drop to Surry County marks where the Virginia distress corridor ends.
Sussex County 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 Delinquency.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024), 26% of children under 18 in Sussex County live below the federal poverty line, versus 17% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
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
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Sussex County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Sussex County's value shown alongside VA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Sussex | VA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 95 · Rank 50 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 12% | 6% | 5% | 95th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 13% | 6% | 5% | 95th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 40% | 25% | 23% | 95th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 86 · Rank 230 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 31% | 22% | 23% | 78th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 400 | 177 | 126 | 95th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 84 · Rank 307 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 37% | 22% | 21% | 95th | 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 | 22% | 20% | 18% | 73rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 23 · Rank 2,618 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) | 11% | 20% | 21% | 5th | 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) | 4% | 4% | 4% | 40th | 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 77 · Rank 514 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 26% | 15% | 17% | 85th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 18% | 15% | 16% | 64th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 22% | 12% | 13% | 92nd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 9% | 6% | 8% | 56th | 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 Sussex County data.
Draft wire copy 133-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
SUSSEX, Va. — Sussex County is more distressed than 87% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Sussex scores 87 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 87% of U.S. counties; its score label is very high county distress. Within Virginia, Sussex ranks 17th 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 Sussex. 12% 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sussex County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Sussex County's distress score?
How does Sussex County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Sussex County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →