Phelps County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.4 | 45,284 people · 57th most distressed in Missouri
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Phelps County, MO registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.4 — 1567th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Missouri, it ranks 57th 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. Phelps County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.6 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 79
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 40
Homeownership Rate 90
Rent-to-Income Ratio 50
Income & Poverty 58.5
Poverty Rate 67
Income vs. State Median 64
Child Poverty Rate 45
Community Vulnerability 54.7
Uninsured Rate 56
Disability Rate 53
Debt & Delinquency 36.6
Debt in Collections 50
Medical Debt 36
Student Loan Delinquency 3
Auto Loan Delinquency 54
Credit Card Delinquency 28
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 49
Employment & Wages 31.5
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 22
Business Formation Rate 46

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Phelps County
Phelps County, MO 50.4 Elevated —
Texas County, MO 69.7 Serious +19.4
Dent County, MO 60.5 Elevated +10.1
Crawford County, MO 59.0 Elevated +8.7
Pulaski County, MO 47.7 Normal -2.7
Maries County, MO 45.2 Normal -5.2
Gasconade County, MO 40.1 Normal -10.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Phelps County
Kent County, MD 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Ashe County, NC 50.4 Elevated +0.0
Gratiot County, MI 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Orleans County, VT 50.4 Elevated +0.0
Macon County, MO 50.4 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Phelps 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 Phelps 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 Phelps County, Missouri?

    Phelps County has a County Distress Index score of 50.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,567th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 57th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Phelps County?

    The primary driver of distress in Phelps County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Phelps County compare to neighboring counties?

    Phelps County (50.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Texas County, MO (69.7); Dent County, MO (60.5); Crawford County, MO (59.0).

  • 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 Phelps County?

    Phelps County, Missouri has a population of approximately 45,284 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.