Lafayette County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.1 | 33,196 people · 58th most distressed in Missouri
American Default Research

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Lafayette County, MO registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.1 — 1586th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where debt and delinquency levels sit above the national average. Within Missouri, it ranks 58th 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. Lafayette County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 61.3 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 61.3
Debt in Collections 50
Medical Debt 69
Student Loan Delinquency 62
Auto Loan Delinquency 61
Credit Card Delinquency 58
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 68
Employment & Wages 57.0
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 94
Business Formation Rate 40
Community Vulnerability 54.3
Uninsured Rate 58
Disability Rate 50
Housing Cost Burden 52.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 33
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 58
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 57
Homeownership Rate 38
Rent-to-Income Ratio 76
Income & Poverty 25.6
Poverty Rate 31
Income vs. State Median 17
Child Poverty Rate 29

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lafayette County
Lafayette County, MO 50.1 Elevated —
Saline County, MO 58.8 Elevated +8.6
Pettis County, MO 54.2 Elevated +4.0
Jackson County, MO 52.9 Elevated +2.8
Ray County, MO 45.6 Normal -4.6
Carroll County, MO 44.0 Normal -6.1
Johnson County, MO 43.8 Normal -6.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lafayette County
Allegany County, NY 50.1 Elevated -0.0
Inyo County, CA 50.1 Elevated -0.0
Lumpkin County, GA 50.1 Elevated -0.0
Jefferson County, IA 50.2 Elevated +0.1
Delta County, MI 50.2 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lafayette 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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette County, Missouri?

    Lafayette County has a County Distress Index score of 50.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,586th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 58th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lafayette County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lafayette County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 61.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Lafayette County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lafayette County (50.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Saline County, MO (58.8); Pettis County, MO (54.2); Jackson County, MO (52.9).

  • 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 Lafayette County?

    Lafayette County, Missouri has a population of approximately 33,196 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.