Polk County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.1 | 19,436 people · 55th most distressed in Arkansas
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Polk County, AR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.1 — 1196th 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 55th of 75 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Polk County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 79.7 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 79.7
Unemployment Rate 78
Poverty Rate 81
Income vs. State Median 64
Child Poverty Rate 83
Disability Rate 87
Transfer Income Dependency 88
Consumer Credit Distress 63.4
Debt in Collections 62
Medical Debt 82
Auto Loan Delinquency 37
Credit Card Delinquency 84
Uninsured Rate 63
Subprime Credit Population 59
Economic Vitality 53.7
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 52
Rent-to-Income Ratio 63
Business Formation Rate 66
House Price Change (YoY) 12
Housing Cost Burden 35.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 26
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 60
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 22
Homeownership Rate 10
Legal Distress 29.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 30

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Polk County
Polk County, AR 56.1 Elevated —
Howard County, AR 71.6 Serious +15.5
Le Flore County, OK 70.5 Serious +14.4
Scott County, AR 68.7 Serious +12.6
McCurtain County, OK 64.1 Elevated +8.0
Sevier County, AR 62.9 Elevated +6.8
Pike County, AR 60.4 Elevated +4.3
Montgomery County, AR 57.8 Elevated +1.7

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Polk County
Lincoln County, AR 56.1 Elevated 0.0
Mercer County, KY 56.1 Elevated -0.0
Callahan County, TX 56.0 Elevated -0.1
Beauregard Parish, LA 56.2 Elevated +0.1
Calhoun County, TX 56.0 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Polk County

Find an Attorney

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 Polk 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 Polk County, Arkansas?

    Polk County has a County Distress Index score of 56.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,196th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 55th in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Polk County?

    The primary driver of distress in Polk County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 79.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Polk County compare to neighboring counties?

    Polk County (56.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Howard County, AR (71.6); Le Flore County, OK (70.5); Scott County, AR (68.7).

  • 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 Elevated 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). Polk County's score of 56.1 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Polk 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 Polk County?

    Polk County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 19,436 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.