Clay County, Indiana

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.0 | 26,460 people · 42nd most distressed in Indiana
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Clay County, IN falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.0 — 1984th 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 42nd of 92 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Clay County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 53.8 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 53.8
Debt in Collections 59
Medical Debt 44
Student Loan Delinquency 62
Auto Loan Delinquency 45
Credit Card Delinquency 33
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 81
Employment & Wages 49.2
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 74
Business Formation Rate 63
Income & Poverty 48.9
Poverty Rate 42
Income vs. State Median 65
Child Poverty Rate 40
Community Vulnerability 46.0
Uninsured Rate 26
Disability Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 27.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 21
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 17
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 16
Homeownership Rate 33
Rent-to-Income Ratio 48

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Clay County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Clay County
Clay County, IN 45.0 Normal —
Vigo County, IN 64.2 Elevated +19.2
Sullivan County, IN 52.7 Elevated +7.7
Parke County, IN 52.2 Elevated +7.2
Greene County, IN 50.8 Elevated +5.8
Owen County, IN 46.3 Normal +1.3
Putnam County, IN 36.4 Normal -8.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Clay County
White County, IN 45.0 Normal 0.0
Fergus County, MT 45.0 Normal 0.0
Sanpete County, UT 45.0 Normal -0.0
Union County, IA 45.0 Normal -0.0
Wakulla County, FL 44.9 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Clay 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 Clay 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 Clay County, Indiana?

    Clay County has a County Distress Index score of 45.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,984th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 42nd in Indiana out of 92 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Clay County?

    The primary driver of distress in Clay County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 53.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Clay County compare to neighboring counties?

    Clay County (45.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Vigo County, IN (64.2); Sullivan County, IN (52.7); Parke County, IN (52.2).

  • 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 Clay County?

    Clay County, Indiana has a population of approximately 26,460 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.