Putnam County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Healthy · 22.5 | 34,199 people · 84th most distressed in Ohio
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Putnam County, OH ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 22.5 — 3078th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Ohio, it ranks 84th of 88 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Putnam County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 56.2 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 56.2
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 53
Business Formation Rate 78
Debt & Delinquency 28.2
Debt in Collections 18
Medical Debt 69
Student Loan Delinquency 4
Auto Loan Delinquency 51
Credit Card Delinquency 7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 21
Housing Cost Burden 16.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 22
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 34
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 21
Homeownership Rate 2
Rent-to-Income Ratio 6
Income & Poverty 6.6
Poverty Rate 3
Income vs. State Median 16
Child Poverty Rate 2
Community Vulnerability 4.6
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 4

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Putnam County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Putnam County
Putnam County, OH 22.5 Healthy —
Allen County, OH 53.8 Elevated +31.3
Paulding County, OH 43.5 Normal +21.0
Van Wert County, OH 38.7 Normal +16.2
Defiance County, OH 37.5 Normal +15.0
Hancock County, OH 37.3 Normal +14.7
Wood County, OH 35.5 Normal +13.0
Henry County, OH 31.5 Healthy +9.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Putnam County
Saunders County, NE 22.5 Healthy 0.0
Monroe County, IL 22.2 Healthy -0.3
Dubois County, IN 22.8 Healthy +0.3
Lincoln County, WY 23.0 Healthy +0.5
Butler County, IA 22.1 Healthy -0.5

Download Data

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

Find Help in Putnam 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 Putnam 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Putnam County, Ohio?

    Putnam County has a County Distress Index score of 22.5 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,078th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 84th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Putnam County?

    The primary driver of distress in Putnam County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 56.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Putnam County compare to neighboring counties?

    Putnam County (22.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Allen County, OH (53.8); Paulding County, OH (43.5); Van Wert County, OH (38.7).

  • 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 Putnam County?

    Putnam County, Ohio has a population of approximately 34,199 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.