Little River County, Arkansas
Above the national median of residents with debt in collections — and 21.8× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Logan County, ND — 2%).
Main Findings
Little River County, Arkansas ranks 412th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 42% of residents with a credit file carry debt in collections — above the national median of 23%.
- 412th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Serious zone, 28th in Arkansas.
- 42% of residents with a credit file carry debt in collections (U.S. median 23%). Debt in collections at the 95th percentile nationally.
- Transfer-income dependency at 35% — national median 27%, ranked at the 82nd percentile.
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 161 — national median 126, ranked at the 63rd percentile.
- Rent burden (30%+) at 43% — national median 38%, ranked at the 71st percentile.
Unemployment is 5%, near the national median of 4%, while debt in collections runs at the 95th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span two CDI zones. The 16-point drop to Sevier County marks where the Arkansas distress corridor ends.
"The distress in Little River County reads as a credit story — household balance sheets carrying debt that's grown faster than incomes can absorb. Housing pressure compounds it; job loss is rarely the trigger."
"Serious-zone counties are where consumer credit distress accumulates while the labor market still reads stable. The cost curve — housing, health, financing — runs faster than wage growth can absorb."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
Little River County's uninsured rate indicator is at the 25th percentile — while every other indicator in the Consumer Credit Distress domain sits at or above the 87th percentile. The gap stands out against debt in collections and medical debt in collections. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Ashdown.
The Indicators Behind Little River County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Little River County's value shown alongside AR's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Little River | AR median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Credit Distress — domain score 87 · Rank 226 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 42% | 32% | 23% | 95th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Medical debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have medical debt in collections | 13% | 7% | 4% | 95th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 7% | 5% | 89th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 10% | 8% | 5% | 95th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 6% | 8% | 8% | 25th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 35% | 31% | 23% | 87th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Housing Cost Burden — domain score 49 · Rank 1,576 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent burden (30%+) Share of renter households paying 30%+ of income on rent | 43% | 37% | 38% | 71st | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 18% | 17% | 18% | 52nd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Owner housing burden Share of owner households paying 30%+ of income on housing | 18% | 21% | 24% | 11th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Homeownership rate Share of occupied housing units that are owner-occupied | 80% | 71% | 74% | 19th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Structural Poverty — domain score 70 · Rank 723 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 5% | 4% | 65th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 18% | 18% | 14% | 77th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Household income relative to state Median household income as share of state median | 0.97× | 1.00× | 1.00× | 58th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 25% | 24% | 18% | 80th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 17% | 22% | 16% | 59th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 35% | 34% | 27% | 82nd | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Legal Distress — domain score 63 · Rank 1,152 of 3,144 | |||||
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 161 | 214 | 126 | 63rd | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Economic Vitality — domain score 33 · Rank 2,522 of 3,144 | |||||
| Wage-to-rent ratio Ratio of average weekly wage to fair-market rent | 5.6× | 4.1× | 4.0× | 5th | BLS QCEW × HUD FMR (2024) |
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 22% | 22% | 21% | 55th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Business formation rate New business applications per 1,000 residents | 8.1 | 9.2 | 10.0 | 77th | Census Business Formation Statistics (2024) |
| House price change (yoy) House price index year-over-year change | 6% | 3% | 4% | 26th | FHFA HPI (2024) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is a PCA-weighted composite of five statistically derived factors. Weights are proportional to each factor's share of explained variance across 3,144 counties.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 represents the national county median; higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from 21 indicators grouped into five statistically derived factors via principal component analysis (PCA); factor weights are proportional to each factor's share of explained variance (shown in the Five-Domain Breakdown above).
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Little River County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 164-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
ASHDOWN, Ark. — Little River County ranks 412th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 69 out of 100 places Little River in the "Serious" zone. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 411 counties rank more distressed. Within Arkansas, Little River ranks 28th of 75 counties.
The index, which draws on 21 indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies consumer credit distress as the primary driver in Little River. 42% of residents with a credit file carry debt in collections — above the national median of 23%.
"The distress in Little River County reads as a credit story — household balance sheets carrying debt that's grown faster than incomes can absorb. Housing pressure compounds it; job loss is rarely the trigger," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Little River County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Little River County's distress score?
How does Little River County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Little River County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →