Hocking County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.8 | 27,540 people · 18th most distressed in Ohio
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Hocking County, OH registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.8 — 777th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Ohio, it ranks 18th 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. Hocking County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 77.5 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 77.5
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 82
Business Formation Rate 72
Income & Poverty 70.2
Poverty Rate 67
Income vs. State Median 76
Child Poverty Rate 67
Debt & Delinquency 61.0
Debt in Collections 67
Medical Debt 61
Student Loan Delinquency 57
Auto Loan Delinquency 50
Credit Card Delinquency 50
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 81
Community Vulnerability 48.5
Uninsured Rate 32
Disability Rate 65
Housing Cost Burden 46.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 64
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 35
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 68
Homeownership Rate 25
Rent-to-Income Ratio 41

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hocking County
Hocking County, OH 60.8 Elevated —
Ross County, OH 65.9 Serious +5.1
Athens County, OH 64.3 Elevated +3.5
Vinton County, OH 63.4 Elevated +2.6
Perry County, OH 57.3 Elevated -3.5
Pickaway County, OH 50.5 Elevated -10.3
Fairfield County, OH 41.9 Normal -18.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hocking County
Escambia County, AL 60.8 Elevated 0.0
Jackson Parish, LA 60.7 Elevated -0.0
Marion County, AR 60.8 Elevated +0.1
Trigg County, KY 60.8 Elevated +0.1
Gilchrist County, FL 60.8 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hocking 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 Hocking 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 Hocking County, Ohio?

    Hocking County has a County Distress Index score of 60.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 777th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 18th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hocking County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hocking County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 77.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Hocking County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hocking County (60.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Ross County, OH (65.9); Athens County, OH (64.3); Vinton County, OH (63.4).

  • 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 Hocking County?

    Hocking County, Ohio has a population of approximately 27,540 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.