Portage County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.3 | 162,665 people · 49th most distressed in Ohio
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Portage County, OH falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 48.3 — 1724th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Ohio, it ranks 49th of 88 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Portage County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 73.8 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 73.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 96
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 62
Homeownership Rate 70
Rent-to-Income Ratio 46
Employment & Wages 61.3
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 61
Business Formation Rate 56
Debt & Delinquency 49.2
Debt in Collections 42
Medical Debt 43
Student Loan Delinquency 48
Auto Loan Delinquency 36
Credit Card Delinquency 45
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 81
Income & Poverty 34.6
Poverty Rate 45
Income vs. State Median 24
Child Poverty Rate 36
Community Vulnerability 22.6
Uninsured Rate 20
Disability Rate 25

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Portage County
Portage County, OH 48.3 Normal —
Trumbull County, OH 64.7 Elevated +16.4
Mahoning County, OH 62.1 Elevated +13.8
Cuyahoga County, OH 53.7 Elevated +5.4
Summit County, OH 49.0 Normal +0.7
Stark County, OH 46.4 Normal -1.9
Geauga County, OH 25.3 Healthy -23.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Portage County
Oconee County, SC 48.3 Normal +0.0
Kenosha County, WI 48.3 Normal -0.0
Van Buren County, MI 48.3 Normal -0.0
Daviess County, KY 48.4 Normal +0.1
Bay County, MI 48.2 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Portage 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 Portage 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 Portage County, Ohio?

    Portage County has a County Distress Index score of 48.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,724th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 49th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Portage County?

    The primary driver of distress in Portage County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 73.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Portage County compare to neighboring counties?

    Portage County (48.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Trumbull County, OH (64.7); Mahoning County, OH (62.1); Cuyahoga County, OH (53.7).

  • 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 Portage County?

    Portage County, Ohio has a population of approximately 162,665 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.