Missouri County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 115 counties in Missouri, scored 0–100 across five domains. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than; the average Missouri county scores 50.0. 29 counties score high, very high, or extreme.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts | Scores as of Aug 2026
Missouri Snapshot
115 Counties Scored
50.0 Mean Score
48.9 Median Score
99 Pemiscot County Most Distressed
3 Osage County Least Distressed
8 extreme county distress7 very high county distress14 high county distress9 moderate-high county distress19 moderate county distress11 moderate-low county distress20 low-moderate county distress17 low county distress7 very low county distress3 exceptionally low county distress
Score Label Distribution Missouri County Map
Pemiscot County is the most distressed of Missouri's 115 counties
County Distress Index score for Missouri's 115 counties, from green (least distressed, 0–29) to red (most distressed, 80–100). Data from 2024 to Aug 2026.
Loading the county map…
The county map could not be loaded. Every county is in the lists on this page.
Least distressed 0–2930–4950–6970–7980–100 Most distressed
County Distress Index score · data from 2024 to Aug 2026
Point to or tap a county for its rank and score. Click it, or tap it twice, to open its page.
Most & Least Distressed
Most Distressed
Least Distressed
Score Distribution
How Missouri's 115 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.
All Missouri Counties
115 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.
| State Rank | Nat'l Rank | County | Score | Score Label | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Pemiscot County | 99 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 2 | 42 | Mississippi County | 98 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 3 | 83 | Wayne County | 97 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 4 | 96 | Dunklin County | 96 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 5 | — | Ripley County | 96 | extreme county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 6 | — | St. Louis city | 93 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 7 | — | Butler County | 93 | extreme county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 8 | — | New Madrid County | 91 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 9 | — | Hickory County | 89 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 10 | — | Benton County | 88 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 11 | — | Oregon County | 82 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 12 | — | Iron County | 82 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 13 | — | Washington County | 81 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 14 | — | Carter County | 81 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 15 | — | Morgan County | 80 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 16 | — | Texas County | 77 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 17 | — | Taney County | 76 | high county distress | Delinquency |
| 18 | — | Howell County | 75 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 19 | — | Douglas County | 74 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 20 | — | Dallas County | 73 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 21 | — | Reynolds County | 73 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 22 | — | St. Francois County | 73 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 23 | — | Jackson County | 72 | high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 24 | — | Madison County | 72 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 25 | — | Buchanan County | 71 | high county distress | Delinquency |
| 26 | — | Shannon County | 71 | high county distress | Labor |
| 27 | — | Jasper County | 70 | high county distress | Delinquency |
| 28 | — | Stoddard County | 70 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 29 | — | Wright County | 70 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 30 | — | McDonald County | 69 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 31 | — | Laclede County | 68 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 32 | — | Scott County | 65 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 33 | — | Pettis County | 64 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 34 | — | Audrain County | 64 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 35 | — | Dent County | 62 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 36 | — | Cedar County | 62 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 37 | — | Henry County | 62 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 38 | — | Saline County | 61 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 39 | — | Crawford County | 59 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 40 | — | Barton County | 58 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 41 | — | Pike County | 58 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 42 | — | Ozark County | 57 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 43 | — | Adair County | 57 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 44 | — | Vernon County | 57 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 45 | — | Clark County | 56 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 46 | — | Marion County | 55 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 47 | — | Barry County | 55 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 48 | — | Grundy County | 55 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 49 | — | Bollinger County | 54 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 50 | — | Lafayette County | 54 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 51 | — | St. Clair County | 54 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 52 | — | Stone County | 52 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 53 | — | Phelps County | 52 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 54 | — | Randolph County | 51 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 55 | — | Harrison County | 51 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 56 | — | Pulaski County | 50 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 57 | — | Newton County | 50 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 58 | — | Webster County | 48 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 59 | — | Sullivan County | 48 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 60 | — | Polk County | 48 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 61 | — | Miller County | 47 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 62 | — | Greene County | 46 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 63 | — | Bates County | 46 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 64 | — | Ray County | 45 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 65 | — | Lawrence County | 45 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 66 | — | Dade County | 43 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 67 | — | Caldwell County | 43 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 68 | — | St. Louis County | 40 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 69 | — | Callaway County | 39 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 70 | — | Montgomery County | 38 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 71 | — | Cape Girardeau County | 38 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 72 | — | Carroll County | 37 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 73 | — | Schuyler County | 37 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 74 | — | Howard County | 36 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 75 | — | Monroe County | 36 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 76 | — | Linn County | 36 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 77 | — | Camden County | 36 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 78 | — | Knox County | 35 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 79 | — | Maries County | 34 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 80 | — | Clinton County | 33 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 81 | — | Mercer County | 32 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 82 | — | Cass County | 32 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 83 | — | Macon County | 31 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 84 | — | Gasconade County | 31 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 85 | — | Franklin County | 31 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 86 | — | DeKalb County | 31 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 87 | — | Lewis County | 30 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 88 | — | Clay County | 30 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 89 | — | Lincoln County | 29 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 90 | — | Cooper County | 28 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 91 | — | Gentry County | 28 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 92 | — | Perry County | 28 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 93 | — | Jefferson County | 27 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 94 | — | Shelby County | 27 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 95 | — | Johnson County | 26 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 96 | — | Warren County | 25 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 97 | — | Livingston County | 25 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 98 | — | Putnam County | 23 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 99 | — | Ralls County | 22 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 100 | — | Daviess County | 22 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 101 | — | Boone County | 22 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 102 | — | Holt County | 22 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 103 | — | Scotland County | 21 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 104 | — | Worth County | 21 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 105 | — | Atchison County | 20 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 106 | — | Nodaway County | 18 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 107 | — | Christian County | 16 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 108 | — | Platte County | 16 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 109 | — | Moniteau County | 15 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 110 | — | Chariton County | 12 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 111 | — | Ste. Genevieve County | 11 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 112 | — | Cole County | 10 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 113 | — | Andrew County | 8 | exceptionally low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 114 | — | St. Charles County | 7 | exceptionally low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 115 | 3,045 | Osage County | 3 | exceptionally low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using five equal-weighted domains. Each domain averages its member indicators' county ranks, the domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every U.S. county. So a county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. National ranks are shown only for the 100 most and 100 least distressed counties, because ranks in between move between updates. Counties with identical composite scores share a rank, marked T- for tied.
extreme county distress — 8 Missouri counties
very high county distress — 7 Missouri counties
high county distress — 14 Missouri counties
moderate-high county distress — 9 Missouri counties
moderate county distress — 19 Missouri counties
moderate-low county distress — 11 Missouri counties
low-moderate county distress — 20 Missouri counties
low county distress — 17 Missouri counties
very low county distress — 7 Missouri counties
exceptionally low county distress — 3 Missouri counties
Urban Institute data: Breno Braga, Signe-Mary McKernan, Samantha Atherton, and Kassandra Martinchek, "Debt in America," last updated November 20, 2025, https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/debt-america-2025. Licensed under ODC-By 1.0. The County Distress Index is American Default Research's own calculation; the Urban Institute does not produce or endorse it.