Jackson County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.5 | 32,606 people · 4th most distressed in Ohio
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Jackson County, OH shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.5 — 289th 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 4th of 88 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jackson County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 77.3 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 77.3
Poverty Rate 75
Income vs. State Median 86
Child Poverty Rate 71
Debt & Delinquency 74.3
Debt in Collections 76
Medical Debt 45
Student Loan Delinquency 77
Auto Loan Delinquency 80
Credit Card Delinquency 91
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 77
Employment & Wages 72.7
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 54
Business Formation Rate 77
Community Vulnerability 62.6
Uninsured Rate 35
Disability Rate 90
Housing Cost Burden 55.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 42
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 83
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 44
Homeownership Rate 55
Rent-to-Income Ratio 53

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jackson County
Jackson County, OH 68.5 Serious —
Scioto County, OH 68.5 Serious +0.0
Pike County, OH 67.6 Serious -0.9
Ross County, OH 65.9 Serious -2.6
Gallia County, OH 64.0 Elevated -4.5
Vinton County, OH 63.4 Elevated -5.1
Lawrence County, OH 63.0 Elevated -5.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jackson County
Washington Parish, LA 68.5 Serious -0.0
Mingo County, WV 68.3 Serious -0.1
Richmond County, NC 68.6 Serious +0.1
Chesterfield County, SC 68.3 Serious -0.2
Pulaski County, GA 68.6 Serious +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jackson 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 Jackson 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 Jackson County, Ohio?

    Jackson County has a County Distress Index score of 68.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 289th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jackson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jackson County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 77.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Jackson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jackson County (68.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Scioto County, OH (68.5); Pike County, OH (67.6); Ross County, OH (65.9).

  • 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 Jackson County?

    Jackson County, Ohio has a population of approximately 32,606 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.