Jefferson County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Normal · 35.7 | 231,230 people · 104th most distressed in Missouri
American Default Research

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Jefferson County, MO falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 35.7 — 2612th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Missouri, it ranks 104th of 115 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jefferson County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 54.2 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 54.2
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 78
Business Formation Rate 62
Debt & Delinquency 44.3
Debt in Collections 47
Medical Debt 54
Student Loan Delinquency 1
Auto Loan Delinquency 44
Credit Card Delinquency 43
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 76
Community Vulnerability 34.8
Uninsured Rate 43
Disability Rate 27
Housing Cost Burden 34.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 38
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 32
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 69
Homeownership Rate 13
Rent-to-Income Ratio 19
Income & Poverty 11.1
Poverty Rate 14
Income vs. State Median 5
Child Poverty Rate 14

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Jefferson County, MO 35.7 Normal —
Washington County, MO 69.2 Serious +33.5
St. Francois County, MO 61.5 Elevated +25.8
Franklin County, MO 38.3 Normal +2.6
St. Louis County, MO 33.0 Healthy -2.8
Ste. Genevieve County, MO 30.1 Healthy -5.6
Monroe County, IL 22.2 Healthy -13.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
York County, ME 35.7 Normal +0.0
Iredell County, NC 35.8 Normal +0.0
Ward County, ND 35.8 Normal +0.1
Grundy County, IL 35.8 Normal +0.1
Putnam County, WV 35.6 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Missouri?

    Jefferson County has a County Distress Index score of 35.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,612th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 104th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jefferson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jefferson County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 54.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Jefferson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jefferson County (35.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Washington County, MO (69.2); St. Francois County, MO (61.5); Franklin County, MO (38.3).

  • 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 Jefferson County?

    Jefferson County, Missouri has a population of approximately 231,230 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.