Jefferson County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.6 | 64,026 people · 19th most distressed in Ohio
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Jefferson County, OH registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.6 — 791st 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 19th of 88 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jefferson County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 73.3 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 73.3
Poverty Rate 68
Income vs. State Median 82
Child Poverty Rate 70
Debt & Delinquency 67.6
Debt in Collections 71
Medical Debt 88
Student Loan Delinquency 45
Auto Loan Delinquency 68
Credit Card Delinquency 59
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 75
Employment & Wages 66.8
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 29
Business Formation Rate 91
Housing Cost Burden 51.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 57
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 72
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 20
Homeownership Rate 63
Rent-to-Income Ratio 47
Community Vulnerability 43.4
Uninsured Rate 21
Disability Rate 66

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Jefferson County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Jefferson County, OH 60.6 Elevated —
Columbiana County, OH 60.3 Elevated -0.3
Brooke County, WV 59.5 Elevated -1.0
Harrison County, OH 57.1 Elevated -3.4
Belmont County, OH 57.0 Elevated -3.6
Hancock County, WV 55.7 Elevated -4.9
Carroll County, OH 51.1 Elevated -9.5
Ohio County, WV 47.5 Normal -13.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Pearl River County, MS 60.5 Elevated -0.0
Umatilla County, OR 60.5 Elevated -0.0
Cleveland County, NC 60.5 Elevated -0.1
Gibson County, TN 60.6 Elevated +0.1
Taylor County, TX 60.4 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Ohio?

    Jefferson County has a County Distress Index score of 60.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 791st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 19th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jefferson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jefferson County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 73.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Jefferson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jefferson County (60.6) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Columbiana County, OH (60.3); Brooke County, WV (59.5); 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 Jefferson County?

    Jefferson County, Ohio has a population of approximately 64,026 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.