Washington County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.5 | 261,549 people · 71st most distressed in Arkansas
American Default Research

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Washington County, AR falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.5 — 1793rd 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 71st of 75 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Washington County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 67.6 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 67.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 62
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 62
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 41
Homeownership Rate 96
Rent-to-Income Ratio 77
Debt & Delinquency 53.5
Debt in Collections 56
Medical Debt 56
Student Loan Delinquency 61
Auto Loan Delinquency 61
Credit Card Delinquency 41
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 44
Community Vulnerability 45.3
Uninsured Rate 78
Disability Rate 12
Employment & Wages 42.2
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 66
Business Formation Rate 30
Income & Poverty 28.9
Poverty Rate 49
Income vs. State Median 10
Child Poverty Rate 27

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Washington County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Washington County
Washington County, AR 47.5 Normal —
Adair County, OK 77.2 Serious +29.7
Madison County, AR 54.4 Elevated +6.9
Crawford County, AR 53.7 Elevated +6.2
Benton County, AR 27.0 Healthy -20.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Washington County
Lorain County, OH 47.5 Normal -0.0
District of Columbia, DC 47.6 Normal +0.1
Spokane County, WA 47.3 Normal -0.2
Collier County, FL 47.7 Normal +0.2
Jefferson County, KY 47.7 Normal +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Washington County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Washington County.

CREDIT COUNSELING OF ARKANSAS
Fayetteville
479-521-8877 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

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 Washington 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 Washington County, Arkansas?

    Washington County has a County Distress Index score of 47.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,793rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 71st in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Washington County?

    The primary driver of distress in Washington County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 67.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Washington County compare to neighboring counties?

    Washington County (47.5) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Adair County, OK (77.2); Madison County, AR (54.4); Crawford County, AR (53.7).

  • 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 Washington County?

    Washington County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 261,549 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.