Missouri County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 115 counties in Missouri, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 48.3. 9 counties score high, very high, or extreme.
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26
Missouri Snapshot
115 Counties Scored
48.3 Mean Score
46.6 Median Score
90.2 Pemiscot County Most Distressed
15.2 Osage County Least Distressed
1 extreme county distress3 very high county distress5 high county distress18 moderate-high county distress24 moderate county distress27 moderate-low county distress25 low-moderate county distress11 low county distress1 very low county distress
Score Label Distribution Missouri County Map
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Low county distress Moderate-low county distress Moderate county distress High county distress Extreme county distress
All 115 Missouri counties colored by county distress score range. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.
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 | 14 | Pemiscot County | 90.2 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 2 | 61 | Mississippi County | 84.4 | very high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 3 | 105 | Dunklin County | 81.9 | very high county distress | Delinquency |
| 4 | 129 | Wayne County | 80.8 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 5 | 174 | St. Louis city | 78.9 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 6 | 293 | Ripley County | 75.2 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 7 | 398 | New Madrid County | 72.4 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 8 | 442 | Butler County | 71.1 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 9 | 450 | Hickory County | 71.0 | high county distress | Labor |
| 10 | 617 | Benton County | 67.8 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 11 | 623 | Washington County | 67.8 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 12 | 627 | Oregon County | 67.7 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 13 | 732 | Carter County | 65.5 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 14 | 773 | Taney County | 64.6 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 15 | 778 | Buchanan County | 64.5 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 16 | 835 | Iron County | 63.7 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 17 | 876 | St. Francois County | 62.9 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 18 | 892 | Scott County | 62.6 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 19 | 906 | Howell County | 62.5 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 20 | 962 | Laclede County | 61.4 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 21 | 966 | Morgan County | 61.4 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 22 | 971 | Jackson County | 61.4 | moderate-high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 23 | 973 | Madison County | 61.3 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 24 | 977 | Reynolds County | 61.2 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 25 | 980 | Texas County | 61.1 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 26 | 1,042 | Jasper County | 60.2 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 27 | 1,052 | Douglas County | 60.0 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 28 | 1,071 | Shannon County | 59.4 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 29 | 1,097 | Wright County | 58.9 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 30 | 1,146 | Stoddard County | 58.2 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 31 | 1,173 | Pettis County | 57.6 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 32 | 1,210 | Dallas County | 56.9 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 33 | 1,238 | Bollinger County | 56.3 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 34 | 1,267 | Henry County | 55.9 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 35 | 1,309 | Saline County | 55.1 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 36 | 1,333 | McDonald County | 54.7 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 37 | 1,337 | Cedar County | 54.6 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 38 | 1,340 | Audrain County | 54.6 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 39 | 1,354 | Dent County | 54.3 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 40 | 1,372 | Crawford County | 53.9 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 41 | 1,376 | Greene County | 53.8 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 42 | 1,378 | Ozark County | 53.8 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 43 | 1,420 | Barry County | 53.0 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 44 | 1,447 | St. Clair County | 52.6 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 45 | 1,470 | Randolph County | 52.4 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 46 | 1,499 | Lafayette County | 51.7 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 47 | 1,513 | Phelps County | 51.5 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 48 | 1,519 | Bates County | 51.4 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 49 | 1,543 | Grundy County | 50.9 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 50 | 1,551 | Adair County | 50.7 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 51 | 1,570 | Vernon County | 50.4 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 52 | 1,606 | Clark County | 49.6 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 53 | 1,630 | Barton County | 49.2 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 54 | 1,700 | Howard County | 48.0 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 55 | 1,703 | Polk County | 48.0 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 56 | 1,711 | Marion County | 47.8 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 57 | 1,750 | Pike County | 47.3 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 58 | 1,790 | Sullivan County | 46.6 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 59 | 1,802 | Harrison County | 46.3 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 60 | 1,836 | St. Louis County | 45.7 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 61 | 1,868 | Lewis County | 45.2 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 62 | 1,886 | Caldwell County | 44.8 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 63 | 1,912 | Pulaski County | 44.4 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 64 | 1,919 | Miller County | 44.2 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 65 | 1,926 | Lawrence County | 44.1 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 66 | 1,928 | Cape Girardeau County | 44.1 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 67 | 1,931 | Stone County | 44.1 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 68 | 1,956 | Dade County | 43.6 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 69 | 1,976 | Webster County | 43.3 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 70 | 2,006 | Callaway County | 42.7 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 71 | 2,012 | Newton County | 42.5 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 72 | 2,019 | Ray County | 42.3 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 73 | 2,023 | Carroll County | 42.3 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 74 | 2,061 | Lincoln County | 41.5 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 75 | 2,076 | Linn County | 41.2 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 76 | 2,088 | Montgomery County | 41.0 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 77 | 2,110 | Knox County | 40.7 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 78 | 2,134 | Boone County | 40.1 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 79 | 2,149 | Macon County | 39.9 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 80 | 2,166 | Warren County | 39.5 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 81 | 2,204 | Franklin County | 38.9 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 82 | 2,230 | DeKalb County | 38.4 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 83 | 2,237 | Johnson County | 38.1 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 84 | 2,256 | Cass County | 37.7 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 85 | 2,272 | Cooper County | 37.5 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 86 | 2,278 | Monroe County | 37.4 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 87 | 2,282 | Schuyler County | 37.3 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 88 | 2,292 | Mercer County | 37.0 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 89 | 2,324 | Jefferson County | 36.4 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 90 | 2,329 | Worth County | 36.3 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 91 | 2,331 | Clay County | 36.3 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 92 | 2,346 | Camden County | 35.9 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 93 | 2,384 | Clinton County | 35.2 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 94 | 2,401 | Livingston County | 34.9 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 95 | 2,402 | Putnam County | 34.8 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 96 | 2,414 | Maries County | 34.6 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 97 | 2,418 | Gentry County | 34.4 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 98 | 2,441 | Gasconade County | 34.1 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 99 | 2,531 | Perry County | 32.2 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 100 | 2,544 | Nodaway County | 31.7 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 101 | 2,552 | Ralls County | 31.6 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 102 | 2,575 | Holt County | 31.1 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 103 | 2,612 | Christian County | 30.3 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 104 | 2,647 | Daviess County | 29.3 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 105 | 2,661 | Scotland County | 28.9 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 106 | 2,662 | Chariton County | 28.8 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 107 | 2,699 | Moniteau County | 28.1 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 108 | 2,714 | Shelby County | 27.7 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 109 | 2,734 | Ste. Genevieve County | 27.1 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 110 | 2,735 | Platte County | 27.0 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 111 | 2,738 | Andrew County | 27.0 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 112 | 2,807 | Atchison County | 25.1 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 113 | 2,808 | Cole County | 25.0 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 114 | 2,865 | St. Charles County | 23.4 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 115 | 3,067 | Osage County | 15.2 | very 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, and the composite is the mean of those domain scores. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.
extreme county distress — 1 Missouri county
very high county distress — 3 Missouri counties
high county distress — 5 Missouri counties
moderate-high county distress — 18 Missouri counties
moderate county distress — 24 Missouri counties
moderate-low county distress — 27 Missouri counties
low-moderate county distress — 25 Missouri counties
low county distress — 11 Missouri counties
very low county distress — 1 Missouri county
exceptionally low county distress — 0 Missouri counties