Belmont County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.0 | 64,918 people · 31st most distressed in Ohio
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Belmont County, OH registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.0 — 1084th 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 31st of 88 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Belmont County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 69.8 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 69.8
Poverty Rate 63
Income vs. State Median 81
Child Poverty Rate 65
Employment & Wages 69.0
Unemployment Rate 74
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Business Formation Rate 93
Debt & Delinquency 57.9
Debt in Collections 59
Medical Debt 38
Student Loan Delinquency 42
Auto Loan Delinquency 70
Credit Card Delinquency 68
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 70
Housing Cost Burden 45.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 46
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 47
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 35
Homeownership Rate 52
Rent-to-Income Ratio 49
Community Vulnerability 42.4
Uninsured Rate 29
Disability Rate 56

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Belmont County
Belmont County, OH 57.0 Elevated —
Guernsey County, OH 64.5 Elevated +7.6
Jefferson County, OH 60.6 Elevated +3.6
Harrison County, OH 57.1 Elevated +0.2
Monroe County, OH 55.0 Elevated -2.0
Noble County, OH 50.5 Elevated -6.5
Marshall County, WV 49.3 Normal -7.7
Ohio County, WV 47.5 Normal -9.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Belmont County
Lyon County, NV 57.0 Elevated +0.1
Calhoun County, MI 56.9 Elevated -0.1
Grayson County, TX 57.2 Elevated +0.2
Craven County, NC 57.2 Elevated +0.2
Richland County, OH 57.2 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Belmont 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 Belmont 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Belmont County has a County Distress Index score of 57.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,084th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 31st in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Belmont County?

    The primary driver of distress in Belmont County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 69.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Belmont County compare to neighboring counties?

    Belmont County (57.0) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Guernsey County, OH (64.5); Jefferson County, OH (60.6); Harrison County, OH (57.1).

  • 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 Belmont County?

    Belmont County, Ohio has a population of approximately 64,918 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.