Howard County, Indiana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.5 | 83,831 people · 10th most distressed in Indiana
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Howard County, IN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.5 — 1034th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Indiana, it ranks 10th of 92 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Howard County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 75.4 — worse than roughly 75% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 75.4
Debt in Collections 70
Medical Debt 72
Student Loan Delinquency 67
Auto Loan Delinquency 81
Credit Card Delinquency 70
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 92
Housing Cost Burden 63.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 78
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 69
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 51
Homeownership Rate 62
Rent-to-Income Ratio 57
Income & Poverty 54.4
Poverty Rate 43
Income vs. State Median 69
Child Poverty Rate 51
Community Vulnerability 52.5
Uninsured Rate 37
Disability Rate 68
Employment & Wages 41.8
Unemployment Rate 58
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 17
Business Formation Rate 50

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Howard County
Howard County, IN 57.5 Elevated —
Grant County, IN 63.3 Elevated +5.8
Miami County, IN 54.5 Elevated -3.0
Cass County, IN 51.9 Elevated -5.6
Clinton County, IN 38.3 Normal -19.2
Carroll County, IN 34.7 Healthy -22.8
Tipton County, IN 32.1 Healthy -25.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Howard County
Caldwell County, NC 57.5 Elevated -0.0
Smith County, TX 57.5 Elevated -0.0
Aroostook County, ME 57.4 Elevated -0.1
Pulaski County, KY 57.4 Elevated -0.1
Anderson County, TN 57.3 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Howard 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 Howard 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 Howard County, Indiana?

    Howard County has a County Distress Index score of 57.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,034th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Indiana out of 92 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Howard County?

    The primary driver of distress in Howard County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 75.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Howard County compare to neighboring counties?

    Howard County (57.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Grant County, IN (63.3); Miami County, IN (54.5); Cass County, IN (51.9).

  • 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 Howard County?

    Howard County, Indiana has a population of approximately 83,831 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.