Marion County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.6 | 64,851 people · 16th most distressed in Ohio
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Marion County, OH registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.6 — 708th 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 16th 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. Marion County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 73.6 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 73.6
Debt in Collections 81
Medical Debt 82
Student Loan Delinquency 71
Auto Loan Delinquency 72
Credit Card Delinquency 67
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 68
Income & Poverty 69.8
Poverty Rate 68
Income vs. State Median 80
Child Poverty Rate 62
Housing Cost Burden 66.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 73
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 71
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 47
Homeownership Rate 78
Rent-to-Income Ratio 62
Employment & Wages 55.7
Unemployment Rate 58
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 35
Business Formation Rate 74
Community Vulnerability 43.0
Uninsured Rate 21
Disability Rate 65

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Marion County
Marion County, OH 61.6 Elevated —
Hardin County, OH 54.6 Elevated -7.1
Crawford County, OH 53.0 Elevated -8.6
Morrow County, OH 51.1 Elevated -10.5
Wyandot County, OH 29.2 Healthy -32.4
Union County, OH 21.2 Healthy -40.5
Delaware County, OH 18.8 Healthy -42.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Marion County
Douglas County, OR 61.8 Elevated +0.1
St. Francois County, MO 61.5 Elevated -0.2
Isabella County, MI 61.5 Elevated -0.2
Kent County, DE 61.4 Elevated -0.2
Carroll County, GA 61.3 Elevated -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Marion 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 Marion 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 Marion County, Ohio?

    Marion County has a County Distress Index score of 61.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 708th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 16th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Marion County?

    The primary driver of distress in Marion County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 73.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Marion County compare to neighboring counties?

    Marion County (61.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Hardin County, OH (54.6); Crawford County, OH (53.0); Morrow County, OH (51.1).

  • 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 Marion County?

    Marion County, Ohio has a population of approximately 64,851 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.