Howell County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.5 | 40,735 people · 21st most distressed in Missouri
American Default Research

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Howell County, MO registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.5 — 714th 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 21st of 115 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Howell County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 82.2 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 82.2
Uninsured Rate 86
Disability Rate 79
Income & Poverty 71.5
Poverty Rate 71
Income vs. State Median 81
Child Poverty Rate 62
Housing Cost Burden 59.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 52
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 66
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 47
Homeownership Rate 75
Rent-to-Income Ratio 57
Debt & Delinquency 49.5
Debt in Collections 63
Medical Debt 60
Student Loan Delinquency 2
Auto Loan Delinquency 85
Credit Card Delinquency 72
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 14
Employment & Wages 45.0
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Business Formation Rate 46

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Howell County
Howell County, MO 61.5 Elevated —
Oregon County, MO 72.5 Serious +10.9
Texas County, MO 69.7 Serious +8.2
Fulton County, AR 69.4 Serious +7.9
Ozark County, MO 63.5 Elevated +2.0
Shannon County, MO 62.3 Elevated +0.8
Douglas County, MO 59.5 Elevated -2.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Howell County
Shelby County, TX 61.5 Elevated +0.0
Arkansas County, AR 61.6 Elevated +0.0
Wasco County, OR 61.6 Elevated +0.0
Iron County, MI 61.5 Elevated -0.1
Lunenburg County, VA 61.6 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell County, Missouri?

    Howell County has a County Distress Index score of 61.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 714th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 21st in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Howell County?

    The primary driver of distress in Howell County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 82.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Howell County compare to neighboring counties?

    Howell County (61.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Oregon County, MO (72.5); Texas County, MO (69.7); Fulton County, AR (69.4).

  • 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 Howell County?

    Howell County, Missouri has a population of approximately 40,735 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.