Dallas County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.9 | 17,768 people · 35th most distressed in Missouri
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Dallas County, MO registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.9 — 912th 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 35th of 115 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Dallas County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 89.1 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 89.1
Uninsured Rate 91
Disability Rate 87
Debt & Delinquency 65.0
Debt in Collections 67
Medical Debt 85
Student Loan Delinquency 51
Auto Loan Delinquency 89
Credit Card Delinquency 50
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 49
Employment & Wages 57.9
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 46
Income & Poverty 54.0
Poverty Rate 67
Income vs. State Median 25
Child Poverty Rate 70
Housing Cost Burden 28.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 25
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 35
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 31
Homeownership Rate 41
Rent-to-Income Ratio 11

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Dallas County
Dallas County, MO 58.9 Elevated —
Hickory County, MO 70.6 Serious +11.7
Laclede County, MO 59.1 Elevated +0.2
Polk County, MO 53.3 Elevated -5.6
Greene County, MO 51.0 Elevated -7.9
Webster County, MO 43.8 Normal -15.1
Camden County, MO 41.7 Normal -17.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Dallas County
Wapello County, IA 58.9 Elevated +0.0
Dyer County, TN 58.8 Elevated -0.0
Smyth County, VA 58.9 Elevated +0.0
Baxter County, AR 58.8 Elevated -0.1
Benton County, TN 58.8 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Dallas 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 Dallas 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 Dallas County, Missouri?

    Dallas County has a County Distress Index score of 58.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 912th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 35th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Dallas County?

    The primary driver of distress in Dallas County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 89.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Dallas County compare to neighboring counties?

    Dallas County (58.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Hickory County, MO (70.6); Laclede County, MO (59.1); Polk County, MO (53.3).

  • 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 Dallas County?

    Dallas County, Missouri has a population of approximately 17,768 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.