Jay County, Indiana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.1 | 20,032 people · 17th most distressed in Indiana
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Jay County, IN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.1 — 1281st 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 17th 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. Jay County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 65.0 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 65.0
Debt in Collections 45
Medical Debt 56
Student Loan Delinquency 89
Auto Loan Delinquency 77
Credit Card Delinquency 49
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 73
Community Vulnerability 64.8
Uninsured Rate 63
Disability Rate 67
Income & Poverty 60.9
Poverty Rate 48
Income vs. State Median 71
Child Poverty Rate 63
Employment & Wages 40.6
Unemployment Rate 8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Business Formation Rate 74
Housing Cost Burden 39.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 41
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 40
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 60
Homeownership Rate 29
Rent-to-Income Ratio 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jay County
Jay County, IN 54.1 Elevated —
Delaware County, IN 64.8 Elevated +10.7
Blackford County, IN 59.3 Elevated +5.2
Randolph County, IN 52.2 Elevated -1.9
Adams County, IN 42.5 Normal -11.6
Darke County, OH 38.6 Normal -15.5
Wells County, IN 35.5 Normal -18.6
Mercer County, OH 21.8 Healthy -32.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jay County
Murray County, OK 54.1 Elevated 0.0
Barry County, MO 54.1 Elevated +0.0
Madison County, NC 54.1 Elevated +0.1
Orleans County, NY 54.0 Elevated -0.1
Leon County, TX 54.0 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jay 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 Jay 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 Jay County, Indiana?

    Jay County has a County Distress Index score of 54.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,281st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 17th in Indiana out of 92 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jay County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jay County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 65.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Jay County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jay County (54.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Delaware County, IN (64.8); Blackford County, IN (59.3); Randolph 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 Jay County?

    Jay County, Indiana has a population of approximately 20,032 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.