About one in four people in Washington County, Missouri, has a disability
In Washington County, 23.4% of people reported a disability (Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024). That is higher than in 93% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 82% of U.S. counties.
What drives Washington County's score
In Washington County, income and the safety net weighs most: the score for income and the safety net is 81.2. About one in four people (23.4%, 2020 to 2024) has a disability, a higher share than in 93% of U.S. counties. Late payments on loans come next, at 79.0.
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.
Washington County does better than most counties on one measure: renters paying half their income or more in rent (12.7%, 2020 to 2024).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Washington 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.
- 81.2 of 100
Income and safety net
Biggest factorPoverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line24.4% · 202480th percentile
- People with a disability23.4% · 2020 to 202493rd percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$54,645 · 202483rd percentile
- People below the poverty line18.0% · 202480th percentile
- People without health insurance10.4% · 2020 to 202468th percentile
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- 79.0 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind7.8% · August 202581st percentile
- People with a credit card behind7.0% · August 202573rd percentile
- People with a subprime credit score32.5% · Q4 202581st percentile
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- 76.4 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector35.8% · August 202587th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people165.7 · 202565th percentile
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- 70.2 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working25.2% · 2020 to 202475th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average4.5% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202665th percentile
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- 38.1 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 income21.1% · fiscal year 202754th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent12.7% · 2020 to 202421st 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 Washington 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
Washington County
Missouri
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Washington County in 2024, pay from work was 51 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 10 cents. Benefit checks were 39 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 15 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In Washington County, benefit checks rose from 15 to 39 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Washington County, Missouri: 38.7% and 51.0% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 38.7% of all personal income in Washington 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 Washington County, 17.9% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Washington County has changed
The number of people living in Washington County grew by about 55% between 1969 and 2024, from 15,196 to 23,583. The number of jobs located there grew by about 40% from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 13.4% in 1990 to 4.9% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 15,196 | 2024 23,583 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 3,564 | 2024 5,002 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 13.4% | 2025 4.9% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 24.9% | 2024 18.0% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $18,829 | 2024 $54,645 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 15.2% | 2024 38.7% |
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 Washington County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 2010 Census count of 25,195. The 2020 Census counted 23,514, 93% of the peak. Census Bureau
1798
Large-scale lead mining operations by Moses Austin from 1798. Wikipedia
1822
Desloge lead mining and smelting business established 1822, relocated to Bonne Terre and Desloge. Wikipedia
1957
Tornado: $25 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
1967
Tornado: $2.5 million in property damage, three deaths. NOAA Storm Events Database
1969
Tornado: $2.5 million in property damage, two deaths. NOAA Storm Events Database
1984
Tornado: $25 million in property damage, one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1973
27 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Washington County, 18 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Washington County beside its neighbors
Washington County scores higher than all five counties that border it. For the share of income from benefit checks, Washington County ranks 2nd of the six; Iron County is highest, at 47.1%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, MO | 82 | 18.0% | 38.7% |
| Iron County, MO | 80 | 18.2% | 47.1% |
| St. Francois County, MO | 73 | 14.6% | 34.0% |
| Crawford County, MO | 59 | 15.1% | 31.9% |
| Franklin County, MO | 32 | 9.0% | 24.0% |
| Jefferson County, MO | 28 | 9.3% | 21.9% |
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 Washington County the poorest county in Missouri?
No, Washington County's poverty rate was 18.0% in 2024, 19th 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, Washington County ranks 11th of 115 in the state.
Washington County in photographs
Places in Washington County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
Washington County Courthouse in Potosi, Missouri.
Photo: Original: Americasroof Modification: Kbh3rd via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Fall Colors in Hopewell, Washington County, Missouri.
Washington County, Missouri: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Washington County, Missouri?
18.0% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in six people. Among children it was 24.4%.
Is Washington County the poorest county in Missouri?
No, Washington County's poverty rate was 18.0% in 2024, 19th 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, Washington County ranks 11th of 115 in the state.
What is the population of Washington County, Missouri?
About 23,583 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 23,514, 93% of the county's peak of 25,195 in 2010.
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 Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.