Wayne County, Indiana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.9 | 66,127 people · 3rd most distressed in Indiana
American Default Research

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Wayne County, IN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.9 — 569th 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 3rd of 92 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Wayne County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 79.8 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 79.8
Poverty Rate 75
Income vs. State Median 92
Child Poverty Rate 73
Debt & Delinquency 71.2
Debt in Collections 65
Medical Debt 38
Student Loan Delinquency 90
Auto Loan Delinquency 70
Credit Card Delinquency 75
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 89
Community Vulnerability 69.9
Uninsured Rate 69
Disability Rate 71
Housing Cost Burden 62.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 81
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 78
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 27
Homeownership Rate 72
Rent-to-Income Ratio 56
Employment & Wages 35.9
Unemployment Rate 13
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 26
Business Formation Rate 69

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Wayne County
Wayne County, IN 63.9 Elevated —
Fayette County, IN 62.7 Elevated -1.2
Randolph County, IN 52.2 Elevated -11.7
Henry County, IN 49.5 Normal -14.4
Preble County, OH 40.2 Normal -23.7
Darke County, OH 38.6 Normal -25.3
Union County, IN 38.0 Normal -25.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Wayne County
Jackson County, IL 63.9 Elevated +0.0
Newton County, GA 63.8 Elevated -0.1
Yuma County, AZ 64.0 Elevated +0.1
Harrison County, TX 63.7 Elevated -0.2
Forrest County, MS 63.6 Elevated -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wayne 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 Wayne 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 Wayne County, Indiana?

    Wayne County has a County Distress Index score of 63.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 569th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 3rd in Indiana out of 92 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wayne County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wayne County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 79.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Wayne County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wayne County (63.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Fayette County, IN (62.7); Randolph County, IN (52.2); Henry County, IN (49.5).

  • 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 Wayne County?

    Wayne County, Indiana has a population of approximately 66,127 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.