Boone County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.5 | 20,576 people · 2nd most distressed in West Virginia
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Boone County, WV shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.5 — 374th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within West Virginia, it ranks 2nd of 55 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Boone County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 85.2 — worse than roughly 85% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 85.3
Unemployment Rate 85
Poverty Rate 88
Income vs. State Median 73
Child Poverty Rate 80
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 92
Consumer Credit Distress 82.7
Debt in Collections 96
Medical Debt 99
Auto Loan Delinquency 81
Credit Card Delinquency 88
Uninsured Rate 24
Subprime Credit Population 78
Housing Cost Burden 54.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 50
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 84
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 11
Homeownership Rate 23
Legal Distress 50.1
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 50
Economic Vitality 41.7
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 1
Rent-to-Income Ratio 56
Business Formation Rate 96
House Price Change (YoY) 99

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Boone County
Boone County, WV 70.5 Serious —
Logan County, WV 64.3 Elevated -6.1
Raleigh County, WV 64.1 Elevated -6.4
Lincoln County, WV 63.5 Elevated -7.0
Wyoming County, WV 60.5 Elevated -10.0
Kanawha County, WV 60.1 Elevated -10.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Boone County
Caldwell County, TX 70.5 Serious +0.0
Lawrence County, AR 70.5 Serious +0.0
Floyd County, KY 70.4 Serious -0.1
Le Flore County, OK 70.5 Serious +0.1
Chester County, SC 70.5 Serious +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Boone County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Boone County

Find an Attorney

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

West Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 304-558-2456

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Boone County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of West Virginia 1-866-255-4370
Mountain State Justice, Inc. 304-344-3144

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Boone County, West Virginia?

    Boone County has a County Distress Index score of 70.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 374th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Boone County?

    The primary driver of distress in Boone County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 85.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Boone County compare to neighboring counties?

    Boone County (70.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Logan County, WV (64.3); Raleigh County, WV (64.1); Lincoln County, WV (63.5).

  • 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 Serious 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). Boone County's score of 70.5 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

  • What data sources power Boone County's CDI score?

    Boone County'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 Boone County?

    Boone County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 20,576 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.