Webster County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.5 | 8,045 people · 1st most distressed in West Virginia
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Webster County, WV shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.5 — 370th 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 1st 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. Webster County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 94.5 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 94.5
Unemployment Rate 92
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 94
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Consumer Credit Distress 78.4
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 55
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 91
Uninsured Rate 15
Subprime Credit Population 80
Economic Vitality 67.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 54
Rent-to-Income Ratio 83
Business Formation Rate 95
House Price Change (YoY) 28
Housing Cost Burden 58.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 50
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 91
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 15
Homeownership Rate 32
Legal Distress 15.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Webster County
Webster County, WV 70.5 Serious —
Randolph County, WV 61.1 Elevated -9.4
Lewis County, WV 57.9 Elevated -12.6
Greenbrier County, WV 54.6 Elevated -15.9
Upshur County, WV 53.7 Elevated -16.8
Nicholas County, WV 51.3 Elevated -19.3
Braxton County, WV 47.2 Normal -23.3
Pocahontas County, WV 36.0 Normal -34.5

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Webster County
Wolfe County, KY 70.5 Serious +0.0
Oregon County, MO 70.5 Serious -0.0
Perry County, AL 70.7 Serious +0.2
Taliaferro County, GA 70.4 Serious -0.2
Lowndes County, AL 70.7 Serious +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Webster 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 Webster 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 Webster County, West Virginia?

    Webster County has a County Distress Index score of 70.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 370th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Webster County?

    The primary driver of distress in Webster County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 94.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Webster County compare to neighboring counties?

    Webster County (70.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Randolph County, WV (61.1); Lewis County, WV (57.9); Greenbrier County, WV (54.6).

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

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

    Webster 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 Webster County?

    Webster County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 8,045 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.