Lee County, Arkansas
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Lee County. Population: 8,201 (tiny).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Lee County, AR shows significant household financial distress with a score of 78.8 — 12th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Arkansas, it ranks 2nd of 75 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Lee County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Income & Poverty
Primary DriverHousing Cost Burden
Debt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
How Lee County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County, AR | 78.8 | Serious Stress | — |
| Phillips County, AR | 79.2 | Serious Stress | +0.4 |
| Tunica County, MS | 75.2 | Serious Stress | -3.7 |
| St. Francis County, AR | 74.9 | Serious Stress | -3.9 |
| Crittenden County, AR | 71.2 | Serious Stress | -7.6 |
| Monroe County, AR | 70.9 | Serious Stress | -7.9 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (tiny) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humphreys County, MS | 79.0 | Serious Stress | +0.2 |
| Wilkinson County, MS | 78.2 | Serious Stress | -0.6 |
| Hancock County, TN | 78.1 | Serious Stress | -0.7 |
| Dimmit County, TX | 77.8 | Serious Stress | -1.0 |
| Hancock County, GA | 77.5 | Serious Stress | -1.3 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Lee County as a CSV file.
Resources
Lee County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Lee County, Arkansas?
Lee County has a County Distress Index score of 78.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 12th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in Arkansas out of 75 counties.
What drives financial distress in Lee County?
The primary driver of distress in Lee County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Lee County compare to neighboring counties?
Lee County (78.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Phillips County, AR (79.2); Tunica County, MS (75.2); St. Francis County, AR (74.9).
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 Lee County?
Lee County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 8,201 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.