Ouachita County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.6 | 21,793 people · 48th most distressed in Arkansas
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Ouachita County, AR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.6 — 925th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Arkansas, it ranks 48th of 75 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ouachita County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 73.1 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 73.1
Debt in Collections 93
Medical Debt 82
Student Loan Delinquency 5
Auto Loan Delinquency 79
Credit Card Delinquency 97
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 83
Income & Poverty 71.8
Poverty Rate 81
Income vs. State Median 54
Child Poverty Rate 80
Community Vulnerability 62.0
Uninsured Rate 27
Disability Rate 97
Employment & Wages 46.2
Unemployment Rate 85
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 20
Business Formation Rate 34
Housing Cost Burden 39.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 49
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 22
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 11
Homeownership Rate 65
Rent-to-Income Ratio 51

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Ouachita County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ouachita County
Ouachita County, AR 58.6 Elevated —
Nevada County, AR 71.1 Serious +12.4
Dallas County, AR 66.0 Serious +7.4
Columbia County, AR 63.9 Elevated +5.3
Clark County, AR 62.4 Elevated +3.8
Union County, AR 58.4 Elevated -0.2
Calhoun County, AR 49.8 Normal -8.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ouachita County
Plumas County, CA 58.6 Elevated -0.0
Yell County, AR 58.6 Elevated -0.0
Love County, OK 58.6 Elevated -0.0
Washita County, OK 58.7 Elevated +0.0
Tippah County, MS 58.6 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Ouachita 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 Ouachita 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 Ouachita County, Arkansas?

    Ouachita County has a County Distress Index score of 58.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 925th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 48th in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ouachita County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ouachita County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 73.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Ouachita County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ouachita County (58.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Nevada County, AR (71.1); Dallas County, AR (66.0); Columbia County, AR (63.9).

  • 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 Ouachita County?

    Ouachita County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 21,793 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.