Guernsey County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.5 | 38,089 people · 9th most distressed in Ohio
American Default Research

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

Guernsey County, OH registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.5 — 530th 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 9th of 88 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Guernsey County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 72.5 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 72.5
Poverty Rate 64
Income vs. State Median 86
Child Poverty Rate 68
Community Vulnerability 66.0
Uninsured Rate 65
Disability Rate 67
Housing Cost Burden 64.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 73
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 68
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 64
Homeownership Rate 64
Rent-to-Income Ratio 52
Employment & Wages 60.7
Unemployment Rate 86
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 24
Business Formation Rate 72
Debt & Delinquency 59.4
Debt in Collections 52
Medical Debt 47
Student Loan Delinquency 69
Auto Loan Delinquency 66
Credit Card Delinquency 52
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 71

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Guernsey County
Guernsey County, OH 64.5 Elevated —
Coshocton County, OH 61.1 Elevated -3.4
Muskingum County, OH 59.9 Elevated -4.7
Harrison County, OH 57.1 Elevated -7.4
Belmont County, OH 57.0 Elevated -7.6
Tuscarawas County, OH 53.3 Elevated -11.2
Noble County, OH 50.5 Elevated -14.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Guernsey County
Marion County, TN 64.5 Elevated -0.0
Madison County, MO 64.6 Elevated +0.0
Prince Edward County, VA 64.6 Elevated +0.1
Crawford County, GA 64.6 Elevated +0.1
Barbour County, AL 64.4 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Guernsey 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 Guernsey 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 Guernsey County, Ohio?

    Guernsey County has a County Distress Index score of 64.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 530th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 9th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Guernsey County?

    The primary driver of distress in Guernsey County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 72.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Guernsey County compare to neighboring counties?

    Guernsey County (64.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Coshocton County, OH (61.1); Muskingum County, OH (59.9); 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 Guernsey County?

    Guernsey County, Ohio has a population of approximately 38,089 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.