#1,470 Missouri · 2026

Randolph County, Missouri

52.4 · moderate county distress 1,470th of 3,144 counties nationally · 24,109 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
8% Randolph residents
vs.
5% U.S. median

Above the national median for auto loan delinquency.

Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 40 words · paste-ready

Randolph County, Missouri ranks 1,470th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 8% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due — above the national median of 5%. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.

Key Findings
  • 1,470th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 52.4 · moderate county distress, 45th in Missouri.
  • 8% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Auto loan delinquency at the 84th percentile nationally. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
  • Debt in collections at 30% — national median 23%, ranked at the 73rd percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
  • Disability rate at 18% — national median 16%, ranked at the 72nd percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
  • Labor domain score 30 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Distinctive Signals
Boundary Signal

Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 26-point drop to Chariton County marks where the Missouri distress corridor ends.

County Distress Index cluster map. Randolph County, Missouri and its neighbors colored by county distress score label.
Randolph and its 6 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Randolph County ranks 1,470th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire summary — paste-ready, any angle 26 words

Randolph County has a moderate county distress score. The county sits near the middle of the CDI score scale, so the domain mix carries the story.

— American Default Research
Index note — for feature use 31 words

The CDI gives this county a moderate county distress label. The domain mix matters because the same composite score can come from very different local conditions. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.

— American Default Research

Indicator History

Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.

Updated Jul 1, 2026
BLS 1990 to 2025

Unemployment rate

3.8% -1.5 pp since 1990
Census 1989 to 2024

Poverty rate

12.8% -2.9 pp since 1989
BEA 1969 to 2024

Transfer income share

27.9% +13.7 pp since 1969
FRED/Equifax 2014 Q2 to 2025 Q4

Subprime credit population

27.0% -9.5 pp since 2014 Q2

The Indicators Behind Randolph County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Randolph County's value shown alongside MO's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain; higher values represent a higher mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles. A county's domain rank is computed separately against all counties. Percentile is Randolph County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Randolph MO median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 78 · Rank 597 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 8% 6% 5% 84th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 8% 5% 5% 84th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 27% 24% 23% 65th Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025)
Default & Legal — domain score 68 · Rank 804 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 30% 24% 23% 73rd Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 158 118 126 62nd Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 26 · Rank 2,583 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 18% 20% 21% 18th HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 15% 16% 18% 33rd U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Labor — domain score 30 · Rank 2,157 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 3% 4% 4% 30th U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 61 · Rank 1,153 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 18% 19% 18% 52nd U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 18% 17% 16% 72nd U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 14% 14% 14% 52nd U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 11% 11% 8% 69th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Data compiled May 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (2025 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS May 2026, QCEW 2024), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Delinquency Primary driver 78
Weight 20% · Rank 597 of 3,144
Default & Legal 68
Weight 20% · Rank 804 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 61
Weight 20% · Rank 1,153 of 3,144
Labor 30
Weight 20% · Rank 2,157 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 26
Weight 20% · Rank 2,583 of 3,144

Methodology

The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.

Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite Randolph County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
Draft wire copy 129-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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HUNTSVILLE, Mo. — Randolph County ranks 1,470th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.

The composite score of 52.4 out of 100 gives Randolph a moderate county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,469 counties rank more distressed. Within Missouri, Randolph ranks 45th of 115 counties.

The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies delinquency as the primary driver in Randolph. 8% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due — above the national median of 5%.

American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

— 30 —

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Randolph County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Randolph County scores 52.4 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, with the score label moderate county distress. It ranks 1,470th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 45th of 115 Missouri counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Randolph County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Delinquency, at a domain score of 78. Auto loan delinquency ranks at the 84th percentile nationally.

How does Randolph County compare to its neighbors?

Randolph County's neighbors span 4 CDI score labels. Highest-distress neighbor: Audrain County (54.61, moderate county distress). Lowest: Chariton County (28.84, low county distress).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 13 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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