Brown County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.9 | 43,777 people · 26th most distressed in Ohio
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Brown County, OH registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.9 — 1001st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Ohio, it ranks 26th of 88 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Brown County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 73.6 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 73.6
Debt in Collections 74
Medical Debt 84
Student Loan Delinquency 71
Auto Loan Delinquency 63
Credit Card Delinquency 66
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 84
Employment & Wages 69.6
Unemployment Rate 76
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 69
Business Formation Rate 64
Income & Poverty 57.5
Poverty Rate 62
Income vs. State Median 39
Child Poverty Rate 72
Community Vulnerability 50.8
Uninsured Rate 36
Disability Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 37.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 51
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 42
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 38
Homeownership Rate 41
Rent-to-Income Ratio 17

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Brown County
Brown County, OH 57.9 Elevated —
Adams County, OH 68.9 Serious +11.1
Mason County, KY 58.2 Elevated +0.3
Highland County, OH 57.9 Elevated +0.0
Bracken County, KY 53.5 Elevated -4.4
Clinton County, OH 46.0 Normal -11.9
Clermont County, OH 41.9 Normal -15.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Brown County
Montezuma County, CO 57.9 Elevated 0.0
Brunswick County, VA 57.8 Elevated -0.0
Madison County, GA 57.9 Elevated +0.0
Highland County, OH 57.9 Elevated +0.0
White County, TN 57.8 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Brown 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 Brown 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 Brown County, Ohio?

    Brown County has a County Distress Index score of 57.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,001st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Brown County?

    The primary driver of distress in Brown County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 73.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Brown County compare to neighboring counties?

    Brown County (57.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Adams County, OH (68.9); Mason County, KY (58.2); Highland County, OH (57.9).

  • 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 Brown County?

    Brown County, Ohio has a population of approximately 43,777 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.