Lawrence County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.5 | 38,872 people · 59th most distressed in Missouri
American Default Research

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Lawrence County, MO falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.5 — 1626th 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 59th of 115 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lawrence County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 68.5 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 68.5
Uninsured Rate 89
Disability Rate 48
Income & Poverty 54.5
Poverty Rate 61
Income vs. State Median 41
Child Poverty Rate 61
Debt & Delinquency 48.8
Debt in Collections 55
Medical Debt 37
Student Loan Delinquency 65
Auto Loan Delinquency 45
Credit Card Delinquency 58
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 34
Housing Cost Burden 41.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 44
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 23
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 60
Homeownership Rate 58
Rent-to-Income Ratio 22
Employment & Wages 34.5
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 26
Business Formation Rate 43

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lawrence County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lawrence County
Lawrence County, MO 49.5 Normal —
Jasper County, MO 58.4 Elevated +8.8
Barry County, MO 54.1 Elevated +4.6
Greene County, MO 51.0 Elevated +1.5
Dade County, MO 49.3 Normal -0.3
Stone County, MO 45.6 Normal -4.0
Newton County, MO 43.8 Normal -5.7
Christian County, MO 32.0 Healthy -17.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lawrence County
Ashland County, WI 49.5 Normal -0.0
Yancey County, NC 49.6 Normal +0.0
Hancock County, MS 49.6 Normal +0.1
Henry County, IN 49.5 Normal -0.1
Jefferson Davis Parish, LA 49.6 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, Missouri?

    Lawrence County has a County Distress Index score of 49.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,626th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 59th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lawrence County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lawrence County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 68.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Lawrence County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lawrence County (49.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Jasper County, MO (58.4); Barry County, MO (54.1); Greene County, MO (51.0).

  • 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 Lawrence County?

    Lawrence County, Missouri has a population of approximately 38,872 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.