Starke County, Indiana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.3 | 23,206 people · 16th most distressed in Indiana
American Default Research

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Starke County, IN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.3 — 1262nd 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 16th of 92 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Starke County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 67.5 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 67.5
Debt in Collections 59
Medical Debt 61
Student Loan Delinquency 90
Auto Loan Delinquency 48
Credit Card Delinquency 59
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 89
Employment & Wages 62.2
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 58
Business Formation Rate 79
Income & Poverty 56.5
Poverty Rate 47
Income vs. State Median 70
Child Poverty Rate 53
Community Vulnerability 55.9
Uninsured Rate 35
Disability Rate 77
Housing Cost Burden 29.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 33
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 27
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 55
Homeownership Rate 6
Rent-to-Income Ratio 25

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Starke County
Starke County, IN 54.3 Elevated —
LaPorte County, IN 52.6 Elevated -1.6
St. Joseph County, IN 51.5 Elevated -2.7
Fulton County, IN 50.8 Elevated -3.5
Pulaski County, IN 40.1 Normal -14.2
Jasper County, IN 38.0 Normal -16.3
Marshall County, IN 36.8 Normal -17.5
Porter County, IN 36.6 Normal -17.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Starke County
Winston County, AL 54.3 Elevated +0.0
Bollinger County, MO 54.3 Elevated +0.0
Montgomery County, NC 54.3 Elevated -0.0
Abbeville County, SC 54.3 Elevated +0.0
Douglas County, WA 54.2 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Starke 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 Starke 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 Starke County, Indiana?

    Starke County has a County Distress Index score of 54.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,262nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 16th in Indiana out of 92 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Starke County?

    The primary driver of distress in Starke County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 67.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Starke County compare to neighboring counties?

    Starke County (54.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: LaPorte County, IN (52.6); St. Joseph County, IN (51.5); Fulton 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 Starke County?

    Starke County, Indiana has a population of approximately 23,206 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.