Newton County, Arkansas
Above the national median for child poverty rate — and 8.7× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Douglas County, CO — 3%).
Main Findings
Newton County, Arkansas ranks 1,652nd most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 27% of children live below the federal poverty line — above the national median of 18%. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
- 1,652nd of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 48.8 · moderate-low county distress, 69th in Arkansas.
- 27% of children live below the federal poverty line (U.S. median 18%). Child poverty rate at the 85th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 60th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Credit card delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 86th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 23% — national median 21%, ranked at the 66th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 23-point drop to Searcy County marks where the Arkansas distress corridor ends.
Newton County has a moderate-low county distress score. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-low county distress label. The state rank and highest-scoring local domain add context that the composite alone cannot carry. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Newton County's uninsured rate indicator is at the 30th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 81st percentile. The gap stands out against median household income. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Jasper.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 27% of children under 18 in Newton County live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Newton County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Newton County's value shown alongside AR's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Newton | AR median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 41 · Rank 1,877 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 2% | 7% | 5% | 7th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 8% | 5% | 86th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 19% | 31% | 23% | 31st | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 30 · Rank 2,417 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 24% | 32% | 23% | 53rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 42 | 214 | 126 | 7th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 38 · Rank 2,063 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 23% | 22% | 21% | 66th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 9% | 17% | 18% | 11th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 60 · Rank 1,197 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 60th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 74 · Rank 630 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 27% | 24% | 18% | 85th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 20% | 22% | 16% | 81st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 19% | 18% | 14% | 81st | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 6% | 8% | 8% | 30th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Newton County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 131-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
JASPER, Ark. — Newton County ranks 1,652nd 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 48.8 out of 100 gives Newton a moderate-low county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,651 counties rank more distressed. Within Arkansas, Newton ranks 69th of 75 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies safety net & buffer as the primary driver in Newton. 27% of children live below the federal poverty line — above the national median of 18%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Newton County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Newton County's distress score?
How does Newton County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Newton County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →