St. Clair County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.7 | 9,752 people · 14th most distressed in Missouri
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St. Clair County, MO registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.7 — 519th 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 14th of 115 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. St. Clair County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 86.1 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 86.1
Uninsured Rate 80
Disability Rate 92
Income & Poverty 79.5
Poverty Rate 79
Income vs. State Median 74
Child Poverty Rate 86
Debt & Delinquency 63.5
Debt in Collections 65
Medical Debt 95
Student Loan Delinquency 59
Auto Loan Delinquency 67
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 10
Employment & Wages 51.0
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 64
Business Formation Rate 51
Housing Cost Burden 43.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 38
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 15
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 70
Homeownership Rate 43
Rent-to-Income Ratio 50

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. St. Clair County
St. Clair County, MO 64.7 Elevated —
Hickory County, MO 70.6 Serious +5.9
Benton County, MO 66.1 Serious +1.4
Cedar County, MO 63.1 Elevated -1.6
Henry County, MO 59.8 Elevated -4.9
Bates County, MO 56.2 Elevated -8.5
Vernon County, MO 55.8 Elevated -8.9
Polk County, MO 53.3 Elevated -11.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. St. Clair County
Claiborne County, MS 64.7 Elevated -0.0
Red River Parish, LA 64.6 Elevated -0.1
Wilkes County, GA 64.8 Elevated +0.1
Jones County, NC 64.9 Elevated +0.2
Modoc County, CA 65.0 Elevated +0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for St. Clair County as a CSV file.

Find Help in St. Clair 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 St. Clair 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 St. Clair County, Missouri?

    St. Clair County has a County Distress Index score of 64.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 519th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 14th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in St. Clair County?

    The primary driver of distress in St. Clair County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 86.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does St. Clair County compare to neighboring counties?

    St. Clair County (64.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Hickory County, MO (70.6); Benton County, MO (66.1); Cedar County, MO (63.1).

  • 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 St. Clair County?

    St. Clair County, Missouri has a population of approximately 9,752 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.