Knox County, Indiana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.3 | 36,070 people · 20th most distressed in Indiana
American Default Research

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Knox County, IN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.3 — 1350th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Indiana, it ranks 20th of 92 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 7 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Knox County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 65.1 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 65.1
Poverty Rate 66
Income vs. State Median 83
Child Poverty Rate 47
Debt & Delinquency 63.5
Debt in Collections 65
Medical Debt 76
Student Loan Delinquency 76
Auto Loan Delinquency 30
Credit Card Delinquency 69
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 65
Community Vulnerability 54.3
Uninsured Rate 39
Disability Rate 69
Housing Cost Burden 43.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 37
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 35
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 21
Homeownership Rate 82
Rent-to-Income Ratio 40
Employment & Wages 40.5
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 26
Business Formation Rate 85

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Knox County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Knox County
Knox County, IN 53.3 Elevated —
Lawrence County, IL 55.1 Elevated +1.9
Sullivan County, IN 52.7 Elevated -0.6
Greene County, IN 50.8 Elevated -2.5
Wabash County, IL 49.0 Normal -4.3
Daviess County, IN 39.0 Normal -14.2
Crawford County, IL 38.2 Normal -15.1
Pike County, IN 34.6 Healthy -18.7
Gibson County, IN 31.2 Healthy -22.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Knox County
Polk County, MO 53.3 Elevated 0.0
Franklin County, TX 53.3 Elevated 0.0
Adams County, WI 53.3 Elevated +0.1
Upshur County, WV 53.2 Elevated -0.1
Cortland County, NY 53.2 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox County, Indiana?

    Knox County has a County Distress Index score of 53.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,350th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 20th in Indiana out of 92 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Knox County?

    The primary driver of distress in Knox County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 65.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Knox County compare to neighboring counties?

    Knox County (53.3) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Lawrence County, IL (55.1); Sullivan County, IN (52.7); Greene County, IN (50.8).

  • 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 Knox County?

    Knox County, Indiana has a population of approximately 36,070 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.