Wyoming County, West Virginia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.5 | 20,277 people · 15th most distressed in West Virginia
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Wyoming County, WV registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.5 — 918th 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 15th of 55 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Wyoming County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 88.6 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 88.6
Unemployment Rate 90
Poverty Rate 90
Income vs. State Median 77
Child Poverty Rate 82
Disability Rate 99
Transfer Income Dependency 96
Consumer Credit Distress 81.2
Debt in Collections 84
Medical Debt 80
Auto Loan Delinquency 86
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Uninsured Rate 41
Subprime Credit Population 87
Economic Vitality 38.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 59
Business Formation Rate 99
House Price Change (YoY) 28
Legal Distress 37.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 38
Housing Cost Burden 16.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 23
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 17
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 4
Homeownership Rate 6

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Wyoming County
Wyoming County, WV 60.5 Elevated —
Boone County, WV 70.5 Serious +10.0
Mingo County, WV 67.1 Serious +6.6
Mercer County, WV 64.6 Elevated +4.1
Logan County, WV 64.3 Elevated +3.8
Raleigh County, WV 64.1 Elevated +3.6
McDowell County, WV 63.0 Elevated +2.5

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Wyoming County
Lamar County, AL 60.5 Elevated 0.0
Prentiss County, MS 60.5 Elevated -0.0
Hancock County, WV 60.5 Elevated -0.0
Harrison County, KY 60.5 Elevated -0.0
Montgomery County, KS 60.5 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wyoming County

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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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming County, West Virginia?

    Wyoming County has a County Distress Index score of 60.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 918th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 15th in West Virginia out of 55 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wyoming County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wyoming County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 88.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Wyoming County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wyoming County (60.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Boone County, WV (70.5); Mingo County, WV (67.1); Mercer County, WV (64.6).

  • 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 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). Wyoming County's score of 60.5 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Wyoming 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 Wyoming County?

    Wyoming County, West Virginia has a population of approximately 20,277 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.