Sullivan County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.2 | 5,797 people · 73rd most distressed in Missouri
American Default Research

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Sullivan County, MO falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.2 — 1968th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Missouri, it ranks 73rd of 115 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Sullivan County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 56.5 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 56.5
Poverty Rate 45
Income vs. State Median 70
Child Poverty Rate 55
Debt & Delinquency 53.7
Debt in Collections 48
Medical Debt 77
Student Loan Delinquency 59
Auto Loan Delinquency 56
Credit Card Delinquency 72
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 10
Community Vulnerability 45.0
Uninsured Rate 55
Disability Rate 35
Employment & Wages 41.9
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 14
Business Formation Rate 74
Housing Cost Burden 29.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 10
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 17
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 18
Homeownership Rate 53
Rent-to-Income Ratio 47

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Sullivan County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Sullivan County
Sullivan County, MO 45.2 Normal —
Grundy County, MO 53.6 Elevated +8.4
Putnam County, MO 47.5 Normal +2.3
Adair County, MO 46.6 Normal +1.4
Linn County, MO 45.4 Normal +0.2
Mercer County, MO 40.0 Normal -5.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Sullivan County
Maries County, MO 45.2 Normal -0.0
Parmer County, TX 45.3 Normal +0.0
Jewell County, KS 45.3 Normal +0.0
Decatur County, KS 45.3 Normal +0.1
Smith County, KS 45.3 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sullivan 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 Sullivan 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 Sullivan County, Missouri?

    Sullivan County has a County Distress Index score of 45.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,968th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 73rd in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sullivan County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sullivan County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 56.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Sullivan County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sullivan County (45.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Grundy County, MO (53.6); Putnam County, MO (47.5); Adair County, MO (46.6).

  • 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 Sullivan County?

    Sullivan County, Missouri has a population of approximately 5,797 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.