Lewis County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.6 | 9,818 people · 66th most distressed in Missouri
American Default Research

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Lewis County, MO falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.6 — 1782nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Missouri, it ranks 66th 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. Lewis County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 63.5 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 63.5
Unemployment Rate 64
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 47
Business Formation Rate 80
Income & Poverty 53.5
Poverty Rate 63
Income vs. State Median 42
Child Poverty Rate 55
Community Vulnerability 46.1
Uninsured Rate 69
Disability Rate 24
Debt & Delinquency 43.7
Debt in Collections 53
Medical Debt 58
Student Loan Delinquency 59
Auto Loan Delinquency 49
Credit Card Delinquency 27
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 15
Housing Cost Burden 31.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 34
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 46
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 18
Homeownership Rate 35
Rent-to-Income Ratio 22

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lewis County
Lewis County, MO 47.6 Normal —
Clark County, MO 54.1 Elevated +6.5
Knox County, MO 48.8 Normal +1.2
Adams County, IL 47.5 Normal -0.1
Hancock County, IL 43.8 Normal -3.8
Marion County, MO 41.7 Normal -5.9
Shelby County, MO 39.6 Normal -8.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lewis County
White Pine County, NV 47.6 Normal +0.0
Dallam County, TX 47.5 Normal -0.1
Keweenaw County, MI 47.5 Normal -0.1
Putnam County, MO 47.5 Normal -0.1
Sutton County, TX 47.8 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lewis 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 Lewis 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 Lewis County, Missouri?

    Lewis County has a County Distress Index score of 47.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,782nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 66th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lewis County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lewis County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 63.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Lewis County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lewis County (47.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Clark County, MO (54.1); Knox County, MO (48.8); Adams County, IL (47.5).

  • 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 Lewis County?

    Lewis County, Missouri has a population of approximately 9,818 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.