Athens County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.3 | 62,706 people · 10th most distressed in Ohio
American Default Research

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

Athens County, OH registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.3 — 543rd 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 10th of 88 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Athens County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 83.3 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 83.3
Poverty Rate 96
Income vs. State Median 88
Child Poverty Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 77.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 97
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 100
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 24
Homeownership Rate 90
Rent-to-Income Ratio 77
Employment & Wages 76.8
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 60
Business Formation Rate 93
Community Vulnerability 43.7
Uninsured Rate 27
Disability Rate 61
Debt & Delinquency 40.1
Debt in Collections 54
Medical Debt 37
Student Loan Delinquency 38
Auto Loan Delinquency 33
Credit Card Delinquency 41
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 36

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Athens County
Athens County, OH 64.3 Elevated —
Meigs County, OH 68.3 Serious +4.0
Vinton County, OH 63.4 Elevated -0.9
Hocking County, OH 60.8 Elevated -3.5
Morgan County, OH 59.7 Elevated -4.6
Perry County, OH 57.3 Elevated -7.0
Wood County, WV 51.8 Elevated -12.5
Washington County, OH 47.7 Normal -16.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Athens County
Humboldt County, CA 64.2 Elevated -0.0
Hampton city, VA 64.3 Elevated +0.1
Vigo County, IN 64.2 Elevated -0.1
Ouachita Parish, LA 64.2 Elevated -0.1
Rockdale County, GA 64.4 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Athens 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 Athens 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 Athens County, Ohio?

    Athens County has a County Distress Index score of 64.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 543rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Athens County?

    The primary driver of distress in Athens County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 83.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Athens County compare to neighboring counties?

    Athens County (64.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Meigs County, OH (68.3); Vinton County, OH (63.4); Hocking County, OH (60.8).

  • 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 Athens County?

    Athens County, Ohio has a population of approximately 62,706 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.