Pettis County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.2 | 43,530 people · 45th most distressed in Missouri
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Pettis County, MO registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.2 — 1273rd 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 45th of 115 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pettis County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 69.9 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 69.9
Uninsured Rate 77
Disability Rate 63
Debt & Delinquency 59.9
Debt in Collections 65
Medical Debt 70
Student Loan Delinquency 63
Auto Loan Delinquency 58
Credit Card Delinquency 45
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 59
Housing Cost Burden 56.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 57
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 66
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 35
Homeownership Rate 70
Rent-to-Income Ratio 52
Income & Poverty 50.2
Poverty Rate 54
Income vs. State Median 55
Child Poverty Rate 41
Employment & Wages 34.7
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 43
Business Formation Rate 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pettis County
Pettis County, MO 54.2 Elevated —
Benton County, MO 66.1 Serious +11.9
Morgan County, MO 63.4 Elevated +9.3
Henry County, MO 59.8 Elevated +5.6
Saline County, MO 58.8 Elevated +4.6
Lafayette County, MO 50.1 Elevated -4.0
Johnson County, MO 43.8 Normal -10.4
Cooper County, MO 39.1 Normal -15.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pettis County
Kalkaska County, MI 54.2 Elevated 0.0
Clay County, AL 54.2 Elevated +0.0
Madison County, NC 54.1 Elevated -0.0
Dale County, AL 54.2 Elevated +0.0
Douglas County, WA 54.2 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pettis 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 Pettis 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Missouri →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Pettis County, Missouri?

    Pettis County has a County Distress Index score of 54.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,273rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 45th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pettis County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pettis County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 69.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Pettis County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pettis County (54.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Benton County, MO (66.1); Morgan County, MO (63.4); Henry County, MO (59.8).

  • 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 Pettis County?

    Pettis County, Missouri has a population of approximately 43,530 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.