Mercer County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.6 | 58,057 people · 6th most distressed in West Virginia
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Mercer County, WV registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.6 — 668th 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 6th of 55 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Mercer County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 83.8 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 83.8
Unemployment Rate 72
Poverty Rate 85
Income vs. State Median 78
Child Poverty Rate 81
Disability Rate 90
Transfer Income Dependency 94
Consumer Credit Distress 74.5
Debt in Collections 87
Medical Debt 60
Auto Loan Delinquency 77
Credit Card Delinquency 88
Uninsured Rate 26
Subprime Credit Population 76
Housing Cost Burden 53.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 67
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 45
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 7
Homeownership Rate 72
Economic Vitality 45.9
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 16
Rent-to-Income Ratio 66
Business Formation Rate 68
House Price Change (YoY) 96
Legal Distress 22.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 23

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Mercer County
Mercer County, WV 64.6 Elevated —
Raleigh County, WV 64.1 Elevated -0.5
McDowell County, WV 63.0 Elevated -1.6
Summers County, WV 61.3 Elevated -3.3
Tazewell County, VA 61.2 Elevated -3.4
Wyoming County, WV 60.5 Elevated -4.1
Giles County, VA 41.9 Normal -22.7
Bland County, VA 36.2 Normal -28.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Mercer County
Jackson County, MS 64.6 Elevated +0.0
Payne County, OK 64.6 Elevated +0.0
Apache County, AZ 64.5 Elevated -0.1
Mohave County, AZ 64.7 Elevated +0.1
Kershaw County, SC 64.7 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Mercer 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 Mercer County residents at no cost.

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

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Mercer County has a County Distress Index score of 64.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 668th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Mercer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Mercer County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 83.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Mercer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Mercer County (64.6) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Raleigh County, WV (64.1); McDowell County, WV (63.0); Summers County, WV (61.3).

  • 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 Elevated 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). Mercer County's score of 64.6 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Mercer 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 Mercer County?

    Mercer County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 58,057 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.