Ashtabula County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.6 | 96,845 people · 2nd most distressed in Ohio
American Default Research

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

Ashtabula County, OH shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.6 — 282nd 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 2nd of 88 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ashtabula County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 79.9 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 79.9
Poverty Rate 77
Income vs. State Median 76
Child Poverty Rate 87
Debt & Delinquency 76.7
Debt in Collections 72
Medical Debt 88
Student Loan Delinquency 67
Auto Loan Delinquency 70
Credit Card Delinquency 78
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 85
Housing Cost Burden 63.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 88
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 79
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 46
Homeownership Rate 53
Rent-to-Income Ratio 53
Employment & Wages 61.7
Unemployment Rate 52
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 61
Business Formation Rate 71
Community Vulnerability 60.9
Uninsured Rate 61
Disability Rate 61

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Ashtabula County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ashtabula County
Ashtabula County, OH 68.6 Serious —
Trumbull County, OH 64.7 Elevated -3.9
Erie County, PA 52.1 Elevated -16.5
Crawford County, PA 51.8 Elevated -16.8
Lake County, OH 42.1 Normal -26.5
Geauga County, OH 25.3 Healthy -43.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ashtabula County
Norfolk city, VA 68.6 Serious -0.0
Chaves County, NM 68.5 Serious -0.1
Scioto County, OH 68.5 Serious -0.1
Apache County, AZ 68.7 Serious +0.1
Tangipahoa Parish, LA 68.5 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Ashtabula 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 Ashtabula 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Ashtabula County has a County Distress Index score of 68.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 282nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ashtabula County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ashtabula County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 79.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Ashtabula County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ashtabula County (68.6) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Trumbull County, OH (64.7); Erie County, PA (52.1); Crawford County, PA (51.8).

  • 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 Ashtabula County?

    Ashtabula County, Ohio has a population of approximately 96,845 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.