Benton County, Indiana

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.3 | 8,729 people · 35th most distressed in Indiana
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Benton County, IN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.3 — 1647th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where debt and delinquency levels sit above the national average. Within Indiana, it ranks 35th of 92 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Benton County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 56.0 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 56.0
Debt in Collections 62
Medical Debt 71
Student Loan Delinquency 53
Auto Loan Delinquency 61
Credit Card Delinquency 34
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 55
Housing Cost Burden 52.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 39
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 63
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 78
Homeownership Rate 17
Rent-to-Income Ratio 67
Employment & Wages 52.0
Unemployment Rate 8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 76
Business Formation Rate 72
Community Vulnerability 49.9
Uninsured Rate 34
Disability Rate 66
Income & Poverty 35.7
Poverty Rate 20
Income vs. State Median 58
Child Poverty Rate 29

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Benton County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Benton County
Benton County, IN 49.3 Normal —
Vermilion County, IL 58.1 Elevated +8.8
Newton County, IN 51.1 Elevated +1.9
Tippecanoe County, IN 47.6 Normal -1.7
White County, IN 45.0 Normal -4.3
Iroquois County, IL 42.6 Normal -6.7
Jasper County, IN 38.0 Normal -11.3
Warren County, IN 33.2 Healthy -16.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Benton County
Lucas County, IA 49.3 Normal 0.0
Dade County, MO 49.3 Normal -0.0
Aleutians East Borough, AK 49.3 Normal -0.0
Russell County, KS 49.4 Normal +0.1
Essex County, VT 49.0 Normal -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Benton County

Find an Attorney

Indiana State Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Indiana State Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service 317-639-5465

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Benton County residents at no cost.

Indiana Legal Services (ILS) 317-631-9410 (Indianapolis); 1-888-529-4917 (statewide hotline)
Legal Aid Society of Tippecanoe County 765-742-1050
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic 317-429-4131

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 Benton County, Indiana?

    Benton County has a County Distress Index score of 49.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,647th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 35th in Indiana out of 92 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Benton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Benton County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 56.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Benton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Benton County (49.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Vermilion County, IL (58.1); Newton County, IN (51.1); Tippecanoe County, IN (47.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. 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.

  • What is the population of Benton County?

    Benton County, Indiana has a population of approximately 8,729 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.