Adams County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.9 | 27,521 people · 1st most distressed in Ohio
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Adams County, OH shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.9 — 261st 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 Ohio, it ranks 1st of 88 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Adams County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 82.5 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 82.5
Poverty Rate 82
Income vs. State Median 84
Child Poverty Rate 82
Debt & Delinquency 72.7
Debt in Collections 85
Medical Debt 85
Student Loan Delinquency 67
Auto Loan Delinquency 77
Credit Card Delinquency 48
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 76
Community Vulnerability 68.7
Uninsured Rate 47
Disability Rate 90
Employment & Wages 61.7
Unemployment Rate 93
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 24
Business Formation Rate 69
Housing Cost Burden 59.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 55
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 48
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 77
Homeownership Rate 66
Rent-to-Income Ratio 49

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Adams County
Adams County, OH 68.9 Serious —
Scioto County, OH 68.5 Serious -0.4
Pike County, OH 67.6 Serious -1.4
Lewis County, KY 59.9 Elevated -9.0
Mason County, KY 58.2 Elevated -10.7
Highland County, OH 57.9 Elevated -11.0
Brown County, OH 57.9 Elevated -11.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Adams County
Heard County, GA 68.9 Serious +0.0
Glades County, FL 68.9 Serious -0.0
Nolan County, TX 68.9 Serious -0.1
Jackson County, KY 69.0 Serious +0.1
Socorro County, NM 68.8 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Adams County

Find an Attorney

Ohio State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Ohio State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-282-6556

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Adams County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Society of Cleveland 216-687-1900
Columbus Legal Aid Society 614-224-8374
Community Legal Aid (Akron/Canton) 330-535-4191
Ohio Legal Help
Ohio State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 1-800-282-6556
Community Legal Aid Services, Inc. (800) 998-9454
Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati (513) 241-9400
Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio (614) 221-7201
Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. (888) 534-1432
The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland (216) 687-1900

Self-Help Resources

Ohio Legal Help — Foreclosure Self-help guides for Ohio foreclosure process and defenses
OHFA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs and housing counselor referrals

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 Ohio →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Adams County, Ohio?

    Adams County has a County Distress Index score of 68.9 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 261st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Adams County?

    The primary driver of distress in Adams County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 82.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Adams County compare to neighboring counties?

    Adams County (68.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Scioto County, OH (68.5); Pike County, OH (67.6); Lewis County, KY (59.9).

  • 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 Adams County?

    Adams County, Ohio has a population of approximately 27,521 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.