Mercer County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Healthy · 21.8 | 42,439 people · 85th most distressed in Ohio
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Mercer County, OH ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 21.8 — 3093rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Ohio, it ranks 85th of 88 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Mercer County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 45.7 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 45.7
Unemployment Rate 16
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 35
Business Formation Rate 87
Debt & Delinquency 28.0
Debt in Collections 21
Medical Debt 64
Student Loan Delinquency 10
Auto Loan Delinquency 36
Credit Card Delinquency 9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 28
Housing Cost Burden 21.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 27
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 18
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 38
Homeownership Rate 21
Rent-to-Income Ratio 2
Income & Poverty 8.5
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 15
Child Poverty Rate 5
Community Vulnerability 5.4
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Mercer County
Mercer County, OH 21.8 Healthy —
Jay County, IN 54.1 Elevated +32.3
Adams County, IN 42.5 Normal +20.7
Shelby County, OH 39.0 Normal +17.2
Van Wert County, OH 38.7 Normal +17.0
Darke County, OH 38.6 Normal +16.8
Auglaize County, OH 29.8 Healthy +8.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Mercer County
Benton County, IA 21.9 Healthy +0.1
Butler County, IA 22.1 Healthy +0.3
Monroe County, IL 22.2 Healthy +0.4
Summit County, UT 21.1 Healthy -0.6
Saunders County, NE 22.5 Healthy +0.7

Download Data

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

Find Help in Mercer 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 Mercer 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 Mercer County, Ohio?

    Mercer County has a County Distress Index score of 21.8 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,093rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 85th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Mercer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Mercer County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 45.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Mercer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Mercer County (21.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Jay County, IN (54.1); Adams County, IN (42.5); Shelby County, OH (39.0).

  • 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 Mercer County?

    Mercer County, Ohio has a population of approximately 42,439 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.