Consumer Finances in Rural Areas of the Southern Region
This report is the second in a series profiling the finances of consumers in rural communities. It takes a broad look at consumer financial profiles in the southern region of the U.S. compared to other geographies, including credit scores, financial distress, medical debt, and other debt categories. Nearly 48 million people live in the southern region examined in this report, which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This report is intended to provide a starting point in better understanding the financial situations, needs and challenges of consumers in rural areas in the southern region. For an in-depth look at issues related to banking and credit access in both rural and non-rural areas in the southern region, see the CFPB’s report on Banking and Credit Access in the Southern Region of the U.S.