Brown County, Indiana

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.1 | 15,653 people · 40th most distressed in Indiana
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Brown County, IN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.1 — 1887th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Indiana, it ranks 40th of 92 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Brown County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 69.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 69.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 92
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 77
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 77
Debt & Delinquency 46.7
Debt in Collections 20
Medical Debt 35
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 76
Credit Card Delinquency 11
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 65
Employment & Wages 46.1
Unemployment Rate 8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 35
Community Vulnerability 43.4
Uninsured Rate 30
Disability Rate 57
Income & Poverty 25.3
Poverty Rate 20
Income vs. State Median 32
Child Poverty Rate 25

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Brown County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Brown County
Brown County, IN 46.1 Normal —
Monroe County, IN 46.0 Normal -0.2
Morgan County, IN 43.2 Normal -2.9
Jackson County, IN 38.7 Normal -7.4
Bartholomew County, IN 37.0 Normal -9.1
Johnson County, IN 32.7 Healthy -13.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Brown County
Marshall County, KY 46.2 Normal +0.0
Schuyler County, NY 46.2 Normal +0.0
Finney County, KS 46.2 Normal +0.1
Cass County, IA 46.0 Normal -0.1
Huntingdon County, PA 46.0 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Brown 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 Brown 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 Brown County, Indiana?

    Brown County has a County Distress Index score of 46.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,887th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 40th in Indiana out of 92 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Brown County?

    The primary driver of distress in Brown County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 69.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Brown County compare to neighboring counties?

    Brown County (46.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Monroe County, IN (46.0); Morgan County, IN (43.2); Jackson County, IN (38.7).

  • 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 Brown County?

    Brown County, Indiana has a population of approximately 15,653 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.