Benton County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.1 | 20,552 people · 12th most distressed in Missouri
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Benton County, MO shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.1 — 435th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Missouri, it ranks 12th of 115 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Benton County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 78.5 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 78.5
Uninsured Rate 62
Disability Rate 95
Income & Poverty 75.7
Poverty Rate 78
Income vs. State Median 72
Child Poverty Rate 77
Debt & Delinquency 69.7
Debt in Collections 59
Medical Debt 69
Student Loan Delinquency 94
Auto Loan Delinquency 65
Credit Card Delinquency 94
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 37
Employment & Wages 58.6
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 76
Business Formation Rate 33
Housing Cost Burden 48.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 64
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 96
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 17
Homeownership Rate 6
Rent-to-Income Ratio 57

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Benton County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Benton County
Benton County, MO 66.1 Serious —
Hickory County, MO 70.6 Serious +4.5
St. Clair County, MO 64.7 Elevated -1.4
Morgan County, MO 63.4 Elevated -2.7
Henry County, MO 59.8 Elevated -6.3
Pettis County, MO 54.2 Elevated -11.9
Camden County, MO 41.7 Normal -24.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Benton County
Stone County, AR 66.1 Serious +0.0
Washington County, FL 66.2 Serious +0.1
Allen Parish, LA 66.2 Serious +0.1
Boone County, WV 66.2 Serious +0.1
Butler County, AL 66.2 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Benton County

Find an Attorney

Missouri Bar — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Missouri Bar — Lawyer Referral Service 573-635-4128

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Benton County residents at no cost.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri 314-534-4200 (St. Louis); 1-800-444-0514 (statewide hotline)
Legal Aid of Western Missouri 816-474-6750 (Kansas City); 1-800-748-2057 (statewide hotline)
Central Missouri Legal Services 573-442-0116
The Legal Aid and Defender Association (LAD) 816-474-6750
Legal Services of Southern Missouri (417) 881-1397
Mid-Missouri Legal Services Corporation (573) 442-0116

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 Benton County, Missouri?

    Benton County has a County Distress Index score of 66.1 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 435th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 12th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Benton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Benton County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 78.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Benton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Benton County (66.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Hickory County, MO (70.6); St. Clair County, MO (64.7); Morgan County, MO (63.4).

  • 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 Benton County?

    Benton County, Missouri has a population of approximately 20,552 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.