Monroe County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.0 | 13,153 people · 32nd most distressed in Ohio
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Monroe County, OH registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.0 — 1214th 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 32nd 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. Monroe County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 77.9 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 77.9
Unemployment Rate 91
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 48
Business Formation Rate 95
Income & Poverty 72.3
Poverty Rate 60
Income vs. State Median 87
Child Poverty Rate 70
Community Vulnerability 57.2
Uninsured Rate 47
Disability Rate 67
Debt & Delinquency 40.0
Debt in Collections 36
Medical Debt 42
Student Loan Delinquency 55
Auto Loan Delinquency 41
Credit Card Delinquency 27
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 39
Housing Cost Burden 27.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 38
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 32
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 9
Rent-to-Income Ratio 54

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Monroe County
Monroe County, OH 55.0 Elevated —
Belmont County, OH 57.0 Elevated +2.0
Noble County, OH 50.5 Elevated -4.5
Marshall County, WV 49.3 Normal -5.7
Wetzel County, WV 49.3 Normal -5.7
Tyler County, WV 48.5 Normal -6.5
Washington County, OH 47.7 Normal -7.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Monroe County
Graves County, KY 55.0 Elevated 0.0
Lincoln County, MS 55.0 Elevated +0.0
Jackson County, OK 55.1 Elevated +0.1
Jefferson County, PA 55.1 Elevated +0.2
McNairy County, TN 54.8 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Monroe 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 Monroe 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 Monroe County, Ohio?

    Monroe County has a County Distress Index score of 55.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,214th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 32nd in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Monroe County?

    The primary driver of distress in Monroe County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 77.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Monroe County compare to neighboring counties?

    Monroe County (55.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Belmont County, OH (57.0); Noble County, OH (50.5); Marshall County, WV (49.3).

  • 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 Monroe County?

    Monroe County, Ohio has a population of approximately 13,153 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.