Sullivan County, Indiana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.7 | 20,757 people · 21st most distressed in Indiana
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Sullivan County, IN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.7 — 1403rd 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 21st of 92 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Sullivan County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 66.0 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 66.0
Poverty Rate 65
Income vs. State Median 77
Child Poverty Rate 56
Debt & Delinquency 56.7
Debt in Collections 49
Medical Debt 57
Student Loan Delinquency 38
Auto Loan Delinquency 48
Credit Card Delinquency 66
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 83
Community Vulnerability 51.1
Uninsured Rate 38
Disability Rate 64
Employment & Wages 46.2
Unemployment Rate 8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 39
Business Formation Rate 92
Housing Cost Burden 43.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 29
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 47
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 48
Homeownership Rate 44
Rent-to-Income Ratio 48

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Sullivan County
Sullivan County, IN 52.7 Elevated —
Vigo County, IN 64.2 Elevated +11.5
Knox County, IN 53.3 Elevated +0.6
Greene County, IN 50.8 Elevated -1.9
Clay County, IN 45.0 Normal -7.7
Clark County, IL 42.1 Normal -10.5
Crawford County, IL 38.2 Normal -14.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Sullivan County
Elmore County, ID 52.7 Elevated +0.0
Fayette County, IL 52.7 Elevated +0.0
Chester County, TN 52.7 Elevated +0.0
Bourbon County, KY 52.7 Elevated +0.0
Preston County, WV 52.7 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sullivan 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 Sullivan 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Indiana →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Sullivan County, Indiana?

    Sullivan County has a County Distress Index score of 52.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,403rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 21st in Indiana out of 92 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sullivan County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sullivan County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 66.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Sullivan County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sullivan County (52.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Vigo County, IN (64.2); Knox County, IN (53.3); 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 Sullivan County?

    Sullivan County, Indiana has a population of approximately 20,757 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.