Seneca County, Ohio

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.1 | 54,527 people · 45th most distressed in Ohio
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Seneca County, OH registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.1 — 1590th 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 45th 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. Seneca County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 69.6 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 69.6
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 47
Business Formation Rate 90
Debt & Delinquency 62.3
Debt in Collections 54
Medical Debt 80
Student Loan Delinquency 69
Auto Loan Delinquency 56
Credit Card Delinquency 39
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 74
Income & Poverty 49.6
Poverty Rate 44
Income vs. State Median 59
Child Poverty Rate 46
Housing Cost Burden 38.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 41
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 40
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 24
Homeownership Rate 55
Rent-to-Income Ratio 30
Community Vulnerability 31.1
Uninsured Rate 21
Disability Rate 41

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Seneca County
Seneca County, OH 50.1 Elevated —
Huron County, OH 54.5 Elevated +4.4
Crawford County, OH 53.0 Elevated +2.9
Sandusky County, OH 46.9 Normal -3.2
Hancock County, OH 37.3 Normal -12.8
Wood County, OH 35.5 Normal -14.6
Wyandot County, OH 29.2 Healthy -20.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Seneca County
Elkhart County, IN 50.1 Elevated -0.0
Mercer County, PA 50.1 Elevated -0.0
Berrien County, MI 50.1 Elevated -0.0
Clay County, FL 50.1 Elevated +0.0
Pottawattamie County, IA 50.0 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Seneca 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 Seneca 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 Seneca County, Ohio?

    Seneca County has a County Distress Index score of 50.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,590th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 45th in Ohio out of 88 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Seneca County?

    The primary driver of distress in Seneca County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 69.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Seneca County compare to neighboring counties?

    Seneca County (50.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Huron County, OH (54.5); Crawford County, OH (53.0); Sandusky County, OH (46.9).

  • 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 Seneca County?

    Seneca County, Ohio has a population of approximately 54,527 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.