Richland County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.2 | 125,064 people · 29th most distressed in Ohio
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Richland County, OH registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.2 — 1071st 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 29th of 88 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Richland County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 66.1 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 66.1
Poverty Rate 57
Income vs. State Median 79
Child Poverty Rate 62
Housing Cost Burden 59.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 67
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 61
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 53
Homeownership Rate 76
Rent-to-Income Ratio 43
Employment & Wages 57.8
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 31
Business Formation Rate 65
Debt & Delinquency 56.8
Debt in Collections 59
Medical Debt 40
Student Loan Delinquency 50
Auto Loan Delinquency 45
Credit Card Delinquency 67
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 79
Community Vulnerability 45.4
Uninsured Rate 39
Disability Rate 51

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Richland County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Richland County
Richland County, OH 57.2 Elevated —
Huron County, OH 54.5 Elevated -2.7
Crawford County, OH 53.0 Elevated -4.2
Morrow County, OH 51.1 Elevated -6.1
Ashland County, OH 47.5 Normal -9.7
Knox County, OH 46.0 Normal -11.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Richland County
Craven County, NC 57.2 Elevated 0.0
Grayson County, TX 57.2 Elevated -0.0
Medina County, TX 57.3 Elevated +0.1
Androscoggin County, ME 57.3 Elevated +0.1
Sebastian County, AR 57.3 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Richland 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 Richland 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 Richland County, Ohio?

    Richland County has a County Distress Index score of 57.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,071st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Richland County?

    The primary driver of distress in Richland County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 66.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Richland County compare to neighboring counties?

    Richland County (57.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Huron County, OH (54.5); Crawford County, OH (53.0); Morrow County, OH (51.1).

  • 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 Richland County?

    Richland County, Ohio has a population of approximately 125,064 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.