Jefferson County, Indiana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 51.0 | 33,056 people · 28th most distressed in Indiana
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Jefferson County, IN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 51.0 — 1513th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Indiana, it ranks 28th of 92 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jefferson County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 68.0 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 68.0
Uninsured Rate 56
Disability Rate 80
Debt & Delinquency 60.3
Debt in Collections 58
Medical Debt 46
Student Loan Delinquency 63
Auto Loan Delinquency 47
Credit Card Delinquency 69
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 78
Income & Poverty 49.3
Poverty Rate 38
Income vs. State Median 67
Child Poverty Rate 42
Housing Cost Burden 43.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 41
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 23
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 57
Homeownership Rate 73
Rent-to-Income Ratio 26
Employment & Wages 33.5
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 30
Business Formation Rate 60

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Jefferson County, IN 51.0 Elevated —
Switzerland County, IN 59.1 Elevated +8.1
Scott County, IN 55.8 Elevated +4.9
Jennings County, IN 53.9 Elevated +2.9
Carroll County, KY 49.3 Normal -1.7
Clark County, IN 43.9 Normal -7.1
Ripley County, IN 37.5 Normal -13.5
Trimble County, KY 37.2 Normal -13.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Hopkins County, KY 51.0 Elevated -0.0
Southampton County, VA 51.0 Elevated -0.0
Washington County, KY 51.0 Elevated +0.0
Amador County, CA 50.9 Elevated -0.0
Ohio County, KY 51.0 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Indiana?

    Jefferson County has a County Distress Index score of 51.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,513th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 28th in Indiana out of 92 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jefferson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jefferson County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 68.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Jefferson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jefferson County (51.0) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Switzerland County, IN (59.1); Scott County, IN (55.8); Jennings County, IN (53.9).

  • 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 Jefferson County?

    Jefferson County, Indiana has a population of approximately 33,056 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.