Fayette County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.5 | 28,817 people · 27th most distressed in Ohio
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Fayette County, OH registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.5 — 1036th 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 27th of 88 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Fayette County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 73.1 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 73.1
Debt in Collections 76
Medical Debt 58
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 80
Credit Card Delinquency 63
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 88
Employment & Wages 60.5
Unemployment Rate 69
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 36
Business Formation Rate 76
Community Vulnerability 59.4
Uninsured Rate 47
Disability Rate 71
Income & Poverty 55.9
Poverty Rate 57
Income vs. State Median 58
Child Poverty Rate 53
Housing Cost Burden 38.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 24
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 41
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 13
Homeownership Rate 89
Rent-to-Income Ratio 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Fayette County
Fayette County, OH 57.5 Elevated —
Ross County, OH 65.9 Serious +8.4
Highland County, OH 57.9 Elevated +0.4
Pickaway County, OH 50.5 Elevated -7.0
Clinton County, OH 46.0 Normal -11.5
Madison County, OH 43.9 Normal -13.6
Greene County, OH 35.5 Normal -22.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Fayette County
Franklin County, AR 57.5 Elevated 0.0
Clay County, NC 57.5 Elevated 0.0
Roane County, WV 57.5 Elevated -0.0
Coos County, NH 57.5 Elevated -0.0
Stephens County, OK 57.5 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Fayette 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 Fayette 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 Fayette County, Ohio?

    Fayette County has a County Distress Index score of 57.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,036th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 27th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Fayette County?

    The primary driver of distress in Fayette County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 73.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Fayette County compare to neighboring counties?

    Fayette County (57.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Ross County, OH (65.9); Highland County, OH (57.9); Pickaway County, OH (50.5).

  • 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 Fayette County?

    Fayette County, Ohio has a population of approximately 28,817 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.