Wayne County, Missouri
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Wayne County. Population: 10,811 (small).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Wayne County, MO ranks among the most financially distressed counties in America with a score of 80.2 — 4th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Missouri, it ranks 2nd of 115 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Wayne County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Income & Poverty
Primary DriverCommunity Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
Debt & Delinquency
Housing Cost Burden
How Wayne County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, MO | 80.2 | Crisis | — |
| Carter County, MO | 71.9 | Serious Stress | -8.4 |
| Butler County, MO | 67.7 | Serious Stress | -12.6 |
| Madison County, MO | 64.6 | Elevated | -15.7 |
| Iron County, MO | 62.6 | Elevated | -17.7 |
| Reynolds County, MO | 60.9 | Elevated | -19.3 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (small) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden County, FL | 80.3 | Crisis | +0.0 |
| Dunklin County, MO | 79.7 | Serious Stress | -0.5 |
| Mitchell County, GA | 79.6 | Serious Stress | -0.6 |
| Phillips County, AR | 79.2 | Serious Stress | -1.0 |
| Sequoyah County, OK | 79.2 | Serious Stress | -1.0 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Wayne County as a CSV file.
Resources
Wayne County scores in the Crisis zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Wayne County, Missouri?
Wayne County has a County Distress Index score of 80.2 out of 100, placing it in the Crisis zone. It ranks 4th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in Missouri out of 115 counties.
What drives financial distress in Wayne County?
The primary driver of distress in Wayne County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 93.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Wayne County compare to neighboring counties?
Wayne County (80.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Carter County, MO (71.9); Butler County, MO (67.7); Madison County, MO (64.6).
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 Wayne County?
Wayne County, Missouri has a population of approximately 10,811 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.