Nevada County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Serious · 75.4 | 8,120 people · 10th most distressed in Arkansas
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Nevada County, AR shows significant household financial distress with a score of 75.4 — 173rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Arkansas, it ranks 10th of 75 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Nevada County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 88.5 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 88.5
Unemployment Rate 93
Poverty Rate 93
Income vs. State Median 73
Child Poverty Rate 92
Disability Rate 91
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Legal Distress 80.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 80
Housing Cost Burden 75.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 74
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 82
Consumer Credit Distress 75.4
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 92
Auto Loan Delinquency 59
Credit Card Delinquency 57
Uninsured Rate 31
Subprime Credit Population 89
Economic Vitality 52.6
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 25
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74
Business Formation Rate 88
House Price Change (YoY) 59

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Nevada County
Nevada County, AR 75.4 Serious —
Hempstead County, AR 72.6 Serious -2.8
Clark County, AR 72.4 Serious -3.1
Lafayette County, AR 68.3 Serious -7.2
Columbia County, AR 68.1 Serious -7.3
Ouachita County, AR 66.8 Serious -8.6
Pike County, AR 60.4 Elevated -15.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Nevada County
San Augustine County, TX 75.4 Serious +0.0
Menominee County, WI 75.4 Serious -0.1
Refugio County, TX 75.5 Serious +0.1
Terrell County, GA 75.6 Serious +0.2
Crosby County, TX 74.8 Serious -0.6

Download Data

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

Find Help in Nevada County

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Arkansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Arkansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral 1-800-609-5668

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Nevada County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of Arkansas 1-800-950-5817
Center for Arkansas Legal Services 1-800-950-5817

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Nevada County, Arkansas?

    Nevada County has a County Distress Index score of 75.4 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 173rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Nevada County?

    The primary driver of distress in Nevada County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 88.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Nevada County compare to neighboring counties?

    Nevada County (75.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Hempstead County, AR (72.6); Clark County, AR (72.4); Lafayette County, AR (68.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). 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.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Serious zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Nevada County's score of 75.4 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

  • What data sources power Nevada County's CDI score?

    Nevada County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Nevada County?

    Nevada County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 8,120 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.