Union County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.4 | 37,397 people · 51st most distressed in Arkansas
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Union County, AR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.4 — 948th 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 51st of 75 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 7 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Union County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 89.4 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 89.4
Debt in Collections 90
Medical Debt 91
Student Loan Delinquency 76
Auto Loan Delinquency 96
Credit Card Delinquency 93
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 92
Income & Poverty 71.0
Poverty Rate 82
Income vs. State Median 54
Child Poverty Rate 77
Housing Cost Burden 49.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 53
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 54
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 24
Homeownership Rate 57
Rent-to-Income Ratio 61
Community Vulnerability 41.0
Uninsured Rate 27
Disability Rate 55
Employment & Wages 40.9
Unemployment Rate 86
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 3
Business Formation Rate 34

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Union County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Union County
Union County, AR 58.4 Elevated —
Bradley County, AR 72.4 Serious +14.0
Morehouse Parish, LA 70.3 Serious +11.9
Ashley County, AR 68.8 Serious +10.4
Columbia County, AR 63.9 Elevated +5.5
Claiborne Parish, LA 63.7 Elevated +5.3
Union Parish, LA 59.7 Elevated +1.3
Ouachita County, AR 58.6 Elevated +0.2
Calhoun County, AR 49.8 Normal -8.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Union County
Grant County, NM 58.4 Elevated +0.0
Appling County, GA 58.4 Elevated -0.0
Howard County, TX 58.4 Elevated +0.0
Clinton County, PA 58.4 Elevated -0.0
Calloway County, KY 58.4 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Union 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 Union 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Union County has a County Distress Index score of 58.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 948th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 51st in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Union County?

    The primary driver of distress in Union County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 89.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Union County compare to neighboring counties?

    Union County (58.4) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Bradley County, AR (72.4); Morehouse Parish, LA (70.3); Ashley County, AR (68.8).

  • 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 Union County?

    Union County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 37,397 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.