Pulaski County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.2 | 400,009 people · 59th most distressed in Arkansas
American Default Research

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Pulaski County, AR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.2 — 1191st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Arkansas, it ranks 59th of 75 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pulaski County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 69.6 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 69.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 75
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 77
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 39
Homeownership Rate 95
Rent-to-Income Ratio 62
Debt & Delinquency 67.6
Debt in Collections 82
Medical Debt 54
Student Loan Delinquency 2
Auto Loan Delinquency 92
Credit Card Delinquency 81
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Community Vulnerability 55.0
Uninsured Rate 62
Disability Rate 48
Income & Poverty 52.6
Poverty Rate 66
Income vs. State Median 16
Child Poverty Rate 76
Employment & Wages 31.2
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Business Formation Rate 9

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pulaski County
Pulaski County, AR 55.2 Elevated —
Jefferson County, AR 66.6 Serious +11.4
Perry County, AR 56.7 Elevated +1.5
Faulkner County, AR 50.2 Elevated -5.0
Lonoke County, AR 45.1 Normal -10.1
Grant County, AR 40.9 Normal -14.3
Saline County, AR 36.8 Normal -18.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pulaski County
Tulsa County, OK 54.9 Elevated -0.3
Brevard County, FL 54.8 Elevated -0.4
Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT 55.6 Elevated +0.4
Galveston County, TX 55.8 Elevated +0.6
St. Clair County, IL 54.6 Elevated -0.6

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pulaski County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Pulaski County.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES TECHNICIANS, INC.
Little Rock
501-372-2611
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase
IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, INCORPORATED
LITTLE ROCK
501-221-2203 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingPre-Purchase
NSC (NACA COUNSELING SUBSIDIARY) - LITTLE ROCK, AR
Little Rock
501-492-0083 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingPost-Purchase
SOUTHERN BANCORP COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Little Rock
501-406-6000 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing

See all counselors in Arkansas →

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 Pulaski 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Arkansas →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Pulaski County, Arkansas?

    Pulaski County has a County Distress Index score of 55.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,191st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 59th in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pulaski County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pulaski County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 69.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Pulaski County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pulaski County (55.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Jefferson County, AR (66.6); Perry County, AR (56.7); Faulkner County, AR (50.2).

  • 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 Pulaski County?

    Pulaski County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 400,009 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.