#2,838 Missouri · 2026

Atchison County, Missouri

Least distressed fifth 2,838th of 3,144 counties nationally · 5,107 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
12% Atchison residents
vs.
8% U.S. median

Above the national median for uninsured rate.

Census ACS 5-yr (2023)

Main Findings

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Atchison County, Missouri ranks 2,838th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Atchison sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 2,838th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Least distressed fifth, 113th in Missouri.
  • 12% of residents lack health insurance (U.S. median 8%). Uninsured rate at the 77th percentile nationally.
  • Default & Legal domain score 29 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
  • Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 18 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
  • Delinquency domain score 18 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
County Distress Index cluster map. Atchison County, Missouri and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Atchison and its 6 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Atchison County ranks 2,838th of 3,144. American Default Research
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"Atchison County ranks in the least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 25 words

"The CDI places this county in the least distressed fifth nationally. The rank is a comparative geography measure across counties, not a national ADI band."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Atchison County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Atchison County's value shown alongside MO's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is Atchison County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Atchison MO median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 18 · Rank 2,714 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 3% 6% 5% 18th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 3% 5% 5% 14th Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 17% 24% 23% 21st Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 29 · Rank 2,430 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 13% 24% 23% 13th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 118 118 126 46th US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 18 · Rank 2,859 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 19% 20% 21% 26th HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 9% 16% 18% 9th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 12 · Rank 2,761 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 2% 3% 4% 12th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 47 · Rank 1,690 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 15% 19% 18% 33rd Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 17% 17% 16% 60th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 11% 14% 14% 32nd Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 28% 30% 27% 56th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 12% 11% 8% 77th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Safety Net & Buffer Primary driver 47
Weight 20% · Rank 1,690 of 3,144
Default & Legal 29
Weight 20% · Rank 2,430 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 18
Weight 20% · Rank 2,859 of 3,144
Delinquency 18
Weight 20% · Rank 2,714 of 3,144
Labor 12
Weight 20% · Rank 2,761 of 3,144

Methodology

The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.

Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite Atchison County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
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ROCK PORT, Mo. — Atchison County ranks 2,838th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.

The composite score of 25 out of 100 places Atchison in the least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,837 counties rank more distressed. Within Missouri, Atchison ranks 113th of 115 counties.

The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Atchison sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"Atchison County ranks in the least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Atchison County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Atchison County scores 25 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the least distressed fifth. It ranks 2,838th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 113th of 115 Missouri counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Atchison County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer, at a domain score of 47. Uninsured rate ranks at the 77th percentile nationally.

How does Atchison County compare to its neighbors?

Atchison County's neighbors span 1 CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Page County, IA (32.47, Least distressed fifth). Lowest: Otoe County, NE (19.21, Least distressed fifth).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 16 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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