Lawrence County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Serious · 65.8 | 16,318 people · 27th most distressed in Arkansas
American Default Research

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Lawrence County, AR shows significant household financial distress with a score of 65.8 — 458th 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 27th of 75 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lawrence County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 76.2 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 76.2
Uninsured Rate 60
Disability Rate 92
Debt & Delinquency 76.1
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 95
Student Loan Delinquency 6
Auto Loan Delinquency 91
Credit Card Delinquency 90
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 83
Income & Poverty 71.6
Poverty Rate 79
Income vs. State Median 57
Child Poverty Rate 78
Employment & Wages 59.7
Unemployment Rate 64
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 45
Business Formation Rate 71
Housing Cost Burden 45.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 29
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 25
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 41
Homeownership Rate 77
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 Lawrence County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lawrence County
Lawrence County, AR 65.8 Serious —
Jackson County, AR 69.7 Serious +4.0
Greene County, AR 64.1 Elevated -1.7
Sharp County, AR 61.4 Elevated -4.3
Craighead County, AR 60.0 Elevated -5.7
Randolph County, AR 59.9 Elevated -5.9
Independence County, AR 52.4 Elevated -13.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lawrence County
San Miguel County, NM 65.8 Serious 0.0
Halifax County, VA 65.8 Serious +0.0
New Madrid County, MO 65.7 Serious -0.0
Evans County, GA 65.8 Serious +0.0
Morgan County, KY 65.7 Serious -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, Arkansas?

    Lawrence County has a County Distress Index score of 65.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 458th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 27th in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lawrence County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lawrence County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 76.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Lawrence County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lawrence County (65.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Jackson County, AR (69.7); Greene County, AR (64.1); Sharp County, AR (61.4).

  • 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 Lawrence County?

    Lawrence County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 16,318 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.