Hempstead County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.3 | 19,343 people · 24th most distressed in Arkansas
American Default Research

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Hempstead County, AR shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.3 — 421st 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 24th of 75 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hempstead County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 83.8 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 83.8
Debt in Collections 93
Medical Debt 89
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 86
Credit Card Delinquency 94
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 67
Community Vulnerability 78.0
Uninsured Rate 66
Disability Rate 90
Income & Poverty 67.0
Poverty Rate 71
Income vs. State Median 48
Child Poverty Rate 82
Employment & Wages 56.4
Unemployment Rate 76
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 41
Business Formation Rate 52
Housing Cost Burden 46.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 47
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 52
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 72
Rent-to-Income Ratio 54

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hempstead County
Hempstead County, AR 66.3 Serious —
Nevada County, AR 71.1 Serious +4.8
Miller County, AR 70.2 Serious +3.9
Howard County, AR 69.9 Serious +3.6
Lafayette County, AR 66.3 Serious +0.0
Pike County, AR 63.8 Elevated -2.5
Little River County, AR 58.3 Elevated -8.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hempstead County
Greensville County, VA 66.3 Serious -0.0
Thomas County, GA 66.3 Serious -0.0
Polk County, TN 66.3 Serious +0.0
Burke County, GA 66.2 Serious -0.0
Chickasaw County, MS 66.2 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hempstead 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 Hempstead County residents at no cost.

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Hempstead County, Arkansas?

    Hempstead County has a County Distress Index score of 66.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 421st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 24th in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hempstead County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hempstead County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 83.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Hempstead County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hempstead County (66.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Nevada County, AR (71.1); Miller County, AR (70.2); Howard County, AR (69.9).

  • 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 Hempstead County?

    Hempstead County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 19,343 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.