Van Buren County, Arkansas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.3 | 16,142 people · 36th most distressed in Arkansas
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Van Buren County, AR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.3 — 690th 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 36th 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. Van Buren County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 77.5 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 77.5
Unemployment Rate 82
Poverty Rate 70
Income vs. State Median 51
Child Poverty Rate 76
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Legal Distress 65.5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 65
Housing Cost Burden 64.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 81
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 63
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 64
Homeownership Rate 29
Consumer Credit Distress 63.8
Debt in Collections 73
Medical Debt 56
Auto Loan Delinquency 53
Credit Card Delinquency 85
Uninsured Rate 64
Subprime Credit Population 53
Economic Vitality 45.9
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 41
Rent-to-Income Ratio 49
Business Formation Rate 71
House Price Change (YoY) 8

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Van Buren County
Van Buren County, AR 64.3 Elevated —
Faulkner County, AR 63.0 Elevated -1.3
Conway County, AR 61.3 Elevated -3.0
Pope County, AR 56.0 Elevated -8.3
Stone County, AR 53.1 Elevated -11.2
Cleburne County, AR 49.4 Normal -14.9
Searcy County, AR 43.8 Normal -20.5

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Van Buren County
Winn Parish, LA 64.3 Elevated -0.0
Logan County, WV 64.3 Elevated +0.0
Perry County, KY 64.3 Elevated +0.1
Hockley County, TX 64.3 Elevated +0.1
Deaf Smith County, TX 64.4 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Van Buren County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Van Buren 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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren County, Arkansas?

    Van Buren County has a County Distress Index score of 64.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 690th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 36th in Arkansas out of 75 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Van Buren County?

    The primary driver of distress in Van Buren County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 77.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Van Buren County compare to neighboring counties?

    Van Buren County (64.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Faulkner County, AR (63.0); Conway County, AR (61.3); Pope County, AR (56.0).

  • 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). Van Buren County's score of 64.3 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

  • What data sources power Van Buren County's CDI score?

    Van Buren 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 Van Buren County?

    Van Buren County, Arkansas has a population of approximately 16,142 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.