About three in four adults aged 25 to 54 in Putnam County, Missouri, have a job
In Putnam County, 15.5% of adults aged 25 to 54 were not working (Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024). That is lower than in 81% of U.S. counties.
Less distressed than 79% of U.S. counties.
What drives Putnam County's score
In Putnam County, income and the safety net is the highest-scoring part, at 58.7. Jobs are the lowest part, at 20.4. About one in six adults aged 25 to 54 (15.5%, 2020 to 2024) isn't working, a lower share than in 81% of U.S. counties.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
Even so, Putnam County is worse off than most counties on median household income ($56,997, 2024).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Putnam County ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 58.7 of 100
Income and safety net
Biggest factorPoverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line19.0% · 202460th percentile
- People with a disability14.6% · 2020 to 202436th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$56,997 · 202478th percentile
- People below the poverty line13.8% · 202455th percentile
- People without health insurance9.6% · 2020 to 202463rd percentile
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- 41.6 of 100
Housing costs
HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income20.3% · fiscal year 202745th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent16.1% · 2020 to 202437th percentile
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- 21.8 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind3.5% · August 202525th percentile
- People with a credit card behind2.1% · August 20255th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score20.1% · Q4 202534th percentile
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- 21.0 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector19.0% · August 202534th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people43.1 · 20257th percentile
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- 20.4 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working15.5% · 2020 to 202418th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average3.3% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202622nd percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
Where the money in Putnam County comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Putnam County
Missouri
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Putnam County in 2024, pay from work was 48 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 21 cents. Benefit checks were 32 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 18 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In Putnam County, benefit checks rose from 18 to 32 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Putnam County, Missouri: 31.8% and 47.7% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 31.8% of all personal income in Putnam County, Missouri (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Putnam County, 25.0% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Putnam County has changed
The number of people living in Putnam County fell by about three in 10 between 1969 and 2024, from 6,114 to 4,539. The number of jobs located there stayed about the same from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment rose from 3.7% in 1990 to 3.9% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 6,114 | 2024 4,539 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 1,009 | 2024 993 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 3.7% | 2025 3.9% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 19.2% | 2024 13.8% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $15,473 | 2024 $56,997 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 18.0% | 2024 31.8% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in Putnam County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 1900 Census count of 16,688. The 2020 Census counted 4,681, 28% of the peak. Census Bureau
1845
Organized February 28, 1845, from parts of Adair and Sullivan counties. Wikipedia
1873
Following arrival of the Burlington & Southwestern Railway in 1873, coal mining became a major industry, especially in the east of the county. Wikipedia
1900
Putnam County lost over two-thirds of its population between 1900 and 2000 as the United States changed from rural to urban. Wikipedia
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Since 1973
19 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Putnam County, 11 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Putnam County beside its neighbors
Of the six counties that border Putnam County, in Missouri and Iowa, five score higher. For the share of income from benefit checks, Putnam County ranks 3rd of the seven; Mercer County is highest, at 35.0%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County, MO | 57 | 21.9% | 28.6% |
| Appanoose County, IA | 47 | 15.8% | 33.8% |
| Sullivan County, MO | 47 | 12.7% | 31.7% |
| Schuyler County, MO | 34 | 14.7% | 29.2% |
| Mercer County, MO | 32 | 13.7% | 35.0% |
| Putnam County, MO | 20 | 13.8% | 31.8% |
| Wayne County, IA | 18 | 12.9% | 26.4% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Putnam County the poorest county in Missouri?
No, Putnam County's poverty rate was 13.8% in 2024, 59th highest of 115 in Missouri (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Dunklin County, at 25.4%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Putnam County ranks 101st of 115 in the state.
Putnam County in photographs
Places in Putnam County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
Wester facade of the Putnam County, Missouri, courthouse in en:Unionville, Missouri:Unionville.
Putnam County, Missouri: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Putnam County, Missouri?
13.8% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in seven people. Among children it was 19.0%.
Is Putnam County the poorest county in Missouri?
No, Putnam County's poverty rate was 13.8% in 2024, 59th highest of 115 in Missouri (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Dunklin County, at 25.4%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Putnam County ranks 101st of 115 in the state.
What is the population of Putnam County, Missouri?
About 4,539 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 4,681, 28% of the county's peak of 16,688 in 1900.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Putnam County
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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The Legal Aid and Defender Association (LAD)
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,311 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Putnam County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Putnam County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.