Cleveland County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.8 | 7,378 people · 57th most distressed in Arkansas
American Default Research

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Cleveland County, AR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.8 — 1156th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Arkansas, it ranks 57th of 75 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cleveland County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 81.6 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 81.6
Debt in Collections 69
Medical Debt 89
Student Loan Delinquency 61
Auto Loan Delinquency 91
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 84
Employment & Wages 56.3
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 37
Business Formation Rate 60
Community Vulnerability 55.7
Uninsured Rate 16
Disability Rate 95
Income & Poverty 54.0
Poverty Rate 66
Income vs. State Median 32
Child Poverty Rate 64
Housing Cost Burden 31.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 58
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 27
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 17
Homeownership Rate 23
Rent-to-Income Ratio 32

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cleveland County
Cleveland County, AR 55.8 Elevated —
Bradley County, AR 72.4 Serious +16.7
Drew County, AR 66.9 Serious +11.1
Jefferson County, AR 66.6 Serious +10.8
Dallas County, AR 66.0 Serious +10.2
Lincoln County, AR 56.7 Elevated +0.9
Calhoun County, AR 49.8 Normal -6.0
Grant County, AR 40.9 Normal -14.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cleveland County
Carroll County, MS 55.7 Elevated -0.1
Sioux County, ND 55.9 Elevated +0.1
Golden Valley County, MT 55.5 Elevated -0.3
Van Buren County, TN 56.1 Elevated +0.3
Webster County, MS 55.5 Elevated -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cleveland County

Find an Attorney

Arkansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Arkansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral 1-800-609-5668

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Cleveland County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of Arkansas 1-800-950-5817
Center for Arkansas Legal Services 1-800-950-5817

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 Cleveland County, Arkansas?

    Cleveland County has a County Distress Index score of 55.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,156th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 57th in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cleveland County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cleveland County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 81.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Cleveland County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cleveland County (55.8) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Bradley County, AR (72.4); Drew County, AR (66.9); Jefferson County, AR (66.6).

  • 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 Cleveland County?

    Cleveland County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 7,378 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.