Muskingum County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.9 | 86,305 people · 22nd most distressed in Ohio
American Default Research

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Muskingum County, OH registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.9 — 840th 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 22nd of 88 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Muskingum County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 75.1 — worse than roughly 75% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 75.1
Poverty Rate 75
Income vs. State Median 73
Child Poverty Rate 78
Debt & Delinquency 68.4
Debt in Collections 63
Medical Debt 50
Student Loan Delinquency 88
Auto Loan Delinquency 55
Credit Card Delinquency 68
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 86
Housing Cost Burden 64.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 72
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 55
Homeownership Rate 75
Rent-to-Income Ratio 38
Employment & Wages 53.2
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 24
Business Formation Rate 69
Community Vulnerability 38.3
Uninsured Rate 28
Disability Rate 49

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Muskingum County
Muskingum County, OH 59.9 Elevated —
Guernsey County, OH 64.5 Elevated +4.7
Coshocton County, OH 61.1 Elevated +1.3
Morgan County, OH 59.7 Elevated -0.2
Perry County, OH 57.3 Elevated -2.6
Noble County, OH 50.5 Elevated -9.4
Licking County, OH 43.5 Normal -16.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Muskingum County
Mercer County, WV 59.9 Elevated -0.0
Pickens County, SC 59.8 Elevated -0.0
Salem County, NJ 59.9 Elevated +0.1
Tom Green County, TX 60.0 Elevated +0.1
Craighead County, AR 60.0 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Muskingum 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 Muskingum 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 Muskingum County, Ohio?

    Muskingum County has a County Distress Index score of 59.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 840th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 22nd in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Muskingum County?

    The primary driver of distress in Muskingum County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 75.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Muskingum County compare to neighboring counties?

    Muskingum County (59.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Guernsey County, OH (64.5); Coshocton County, OH (61.1); Morgan County, OH (59.7).

  • 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 Muskingum County?

    Muskingum County, Ohio has a population of approximately 86,305 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.