About one in five people in Crawford County, Missouri, has a disability
In Crawford County, 20.1% of people reported a disability (Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024). That is higher than in 80% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 59% of U.S. counties.
What drives Crawford County's score
In Crawford County, income and the safety net weighs most: the score for income and the safety net is 74.1. About one in eight people (12.9%, 2020 to 2024) has no health insurance, a higher share than in 82% of U.S. counties. Jobs come next, at 63.1.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
Crawford County does better than most counties on two measures: renters paying half their income or more in rent (11.9%, 2020 to 2024) and rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income (19.5%, fiscal year 2027).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Crawford County ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 74.1 of 100
Income and safety net
Biggest factorPoverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line21.1% · 202468th percentile
- People with a disability20.1% · 2020 to 202480th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$59,081 · 202472nd percentile
- People below the poverty line15.1% · 202465th percentile
- People without health insurance12.9% · 2020 to 202482nd percentile
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- 63.1 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working23.5% · 2020 to 202466th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average4.3% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202659th percentile
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- 58.9 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind5.8% · August 202559th percentile
- People with a credit card behind5.3% · August 202547th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score28.3% · Q4 202569th percentile
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- 58.4 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector28.9% · August 202570th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people118.8 · 202546th percentile
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- 27.7 of 100
Housing costs
HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income19.5% · fiscal year 202736th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent11.9% · 2020 to 202418th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
Where the money in Crawford County comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Crawford County
Missouri
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Crawford County in 2024, pay from work was 53 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 16 cents. Benefit checks were 32 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 14 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In Crawford County, benefit checks rose from 14 to 32 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Crawford County, Missouri: 31.9% and 52.6% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 31.9% of all personal income in Crawford County, Missouri (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Crawford County, 21.3% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Crawford County has changed
The number of people living in Crawford County grew by about 53% between 1969 and 2024, from 14,861 to 22,808. The number of jobs located there grew by about 40% from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 9.0% in 1990 to 4.6% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 14,861 | 2024 22,808 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 4,734 | 2024 6,634 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 9.0% | 2025 4.6% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 17.7% | 2024 15.1% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $19,590 | 2024 $59,081 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 13.7% | 2024 31.9% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in Crawford County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 2010 Census count of 24,696. The 2020 Census counted 23,056, 93% of the peak. Census Bureau
1829
Organized January 23, 1829. Wikipedia
1830
Trail of Tears passed through Steelville in 1830s with Cherokee and Choctaw. Wikipedia
1878
Cherry Valley Iron Mines opened in 1878 east of Steelville and produced 736,800 tons of ore between 1878 and 1910. Wikipedia
1924
Iron production in the area was exhausted by 1924. Wikipedia
1925
Steelville Bank (later Crawford County Farmers Bank) experienced attempted robbery in 1925. Wikipedia
1988
Tornado: $25 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2012
Thunderstorm wind: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
2015
Flood: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1976
23 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Crawford County, 16 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Crawford County beside its neighbors
Of the six counties that border Crawford County, three score higher. For the share of income from benefit checks, Crawford County ranks 5th of the seven; Iron County is highest, at 47.1%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, MO | 82 | 18.0% | 38.7% |
| Iron County, MO | 80 | 18.2% | 47.1% |
| Dent County, MO | 61 | 14.4% | 38.8% |
| Crawford County, MO | 59 | 15.1% | 31.9% |
| Phelps County, MO | 51 | 17.1% | 29.2% |
| Franklin County, MO | 32 | 9.0% | 24.0% |
| Gasconade County, MO | 30 | 12.1% | 32.0% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Crawford County the poorest county in Missouri?
No, Crawford County's poverty rate was 15.1% in 2024, 38th highest of 115 in Missouri (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Dunklin County, at 25.4%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Crawford County ranks 39th of 115 in the state.
Crawford County in photographs
Places in Crawford County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
Crawford County courthouse in w:Steelville, Missouri.
The former post office in the unincorporated town of Dillard in Crawford County, Missouri, on the road to Dillard Mill.
Crawford County, Missouri: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Crawford County, Missouri?
15.1% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in seven people. Among children it was 21.1%.
Is Crawford County the poorest county in Missouri?
No, Crawford County's poverty rate was 15.1% in 2024, 38th highest of 115 in Missouri (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Dunklin County, at 25.4%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Crawford County ranks 39th of 115 in the state.
What is the population of Crawford County, Missouri?
About 22,808 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 23,056, 93% of the county's peak of 24,696 in 2010.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Crawford County
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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The Legal Aid and Defender Association (LAD)
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,311 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Crawford County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Crawford County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.