Scott County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.7 | 9,851 people · 30th most distressed in Arkansas
American Default Research

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Scott County, AR shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.7 — 447th 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 30th of 75 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Scott County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 77.0 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 77.0
Unemployment Rate 64
Poverty Rate 84
Income vs. State Median 71
Child Poverty Rate 84
Disability Rate 80
Transfer Income Dependency 79
Consumer Credit Distress 75.1
Debt in Collections 84
Medical Debt 88
Auto Loan Delinquency 52
Credit Card Delinquency 83
Uninsured Rate 63
Subprime Credit Population 75
Economic Vitality 66.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 70
Rent-to-Income Ratio 67
Business Formation Rate 88
House Price Change (YoY) 5
Legal Distress 57.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 57
Housing Cost Burden 54.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 33
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 75
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 65
Homeownership Rate 53

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Scott County
Scott County, AR 68.7 Serious —
Le Flore County, OK 70.5 Serious +1.8
Sebastian County, AR 61.7 Elevated -7.0
Montgomery County, AR 57.8 Elevated -10.9
Polk County, AR 56.1 Elevated -12.6
Logan County, AR 55.5 Elevated -13.3
Yell County, AR 53.9 Elevated -14.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Scott County
Marion County, TX 68.7 Serious -0.0
Irwin County, GA 68.8 Serious +0.1
McCulloch County, TX 68.7 Serious -0.1
Duval County, TX 68.7 Serious -0.1
Dickens County, TX 68.5 Serious -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Scott 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 Scott 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 Scott County, Arkansas?

    Scott County has a County Distress Index score of 68.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 447th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 30th in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Scott County?

    The primary driver of distress in Scott County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 77.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Scott County compare to neighboring counties?

    Scott County (68.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Le Flore County, OK (70.5); Sebastian County, AR (61.7); Montgomery County, AR (57.8).

  • 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). Scott County's score of 68.7 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Scott 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 Scott County?

    Scott County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 9,851 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.