Buchanan County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.6 | 82,956 people · 30th most distressed in Missouri
American Default Research

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Buchanan County, MO registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.6 — 860th 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 30th of 115 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Buchanan County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 71.5 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 71.5
Uninsured Rate 78
Disability Rate 66
Debt & Delinquency 70.8
Debt in Collections 72
Medical Debt 60
Student Loan Delinquency 86
Auto Loan Delinquency 90
Credit Card Delinquency 57
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 61
Housing Cost Burden 67.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 89
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 28
Homeownership Rate 85
Rent-to-Income Ratio 53
Income & Poverty 50.1
Poverty Rate 62
Income vs. State Median 32
Child Poverty Rate 56
Employment & Wages 38.4
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 22
Business Formation Rate 63

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Buchanan County
Buchanan County, MO 59.6 Elevated —
Clinton County, MO 42.6 Normal -17.0
DeKalb County, MO 41.9 Normal -17.8
Doniphan County, KS 41.6 Normal -18.1
Atchison County, KS 38.7 Normal -21.0
Andrew County, MO 32.8 Healthy -26.9
Platte County, MO 29.8 Healthy -29.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Buchanan County
Tipton County, TN 59.7 Elevated +0.0
Nash County, NC 59.7 Elevated +0.0
Garfield County, OK 59.7 Elevated +0.0
Pickens County, SC 59.8 Elevated +0.2
Mercer County, WV 59.9 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Buchanan 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 Buchanan 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 Buchanan County, Missouri?

    Buchanan County has a County Distress Index score of 59.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 860th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 30th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Buchanan County?

    The primary driver of distress in Buchanan County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 71.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Buchanan County compare to neighboring counties?

    Buchanan County (59.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Clinton County, MO (42.6); DeKalb County, MO (41.9); Doniphan County, KS (41.6).

  • 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 Buchanan County?

    Buchanan County, Missouri has a population of approximately 82,956 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.