Independence County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.4 | 38,320 people · 67th most distressed in Arkansas
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Independence County, AR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.4 — 1424th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Arkansas, it ranks 67th of 75 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Independence County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 73.0 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 73.0
Uninsured Rate 67
Disability Rate 79
Debt & Delinquency 57.1
Debt in Collections 65
Medical Debt 72
Student Loan Delinquency 0
Auto Loan Delinquency 83
Credit Card Delinquency 64
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 57
Employment & Wages 49.5
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 21
Business Formation Rate 86
Housing Cost Burden 42.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 52
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 57
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 8
Homeownership Rate 78
Rent-to-Income Ratio 19
Income & Poverty 39.7
Poverty Rate 49
Income vs. State Median 18
Child Poverty Rate 51

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Independence County
Independence County, AR 52.4 Elevated —
Jackson County, AR 69.7 Serious +17.3
Stone County, AR 66.1 Serious +13.7
Lawrence County, AR 65.8 Serious +13.4
Izard County, AR 65.2 Serious +12.8
Sharp County, AR 61.4 Elevated +9.0
White County, AR 55.2 Elevated +2.8
Cleburne County, AR 53.8 Elevated +1.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Independence County
Coosa County, AL 52.4 Elevated 0.0
Pacific County, WA 52.4 Elevated +0.0
Barton County, KS 52.4 Elevated +0.0
Fannin County, GA 52.4 Elevated -0.0
Pike County, IL 52.4 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Independence 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 Independence 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 Independence County, Arkansas?

    Independence County has a County Distress Index score of 52.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,424th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 67th in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Independence County?

    The primary driver of distress in Independence County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 73.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Independence County compare to neighboring counties?

    Independence County (52.4) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Jackson County, AR (69.7); Stone County, AR (66.1); Lawrence County, AR (65.8).

  • 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 Independence County?

    Independence County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 38,320 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.