Missouri County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 115 counties in Missouri, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 50.1. 17counties are in Serious or Crisis.
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26
Missouri Snapshot
115 Counties Scored
50.1 Mean Score
47.7 Median Score
87.1 Pemiscot County Most Distressed
19.8 Osage County Least Distressed
2 Crisis 15 Serious 32 Elevated 52 Normal 14 Healthy
Zone Distribution Missouri County Map
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Healthy Normal Elevated Serious Crisis
All 115 Missouri counties colored by distress zone. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.
Most & Least Distressed
Most Distressed
Least Distressed
Score Distribution
How Missouri's 115 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.
All Missouri Counties
115 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.
| State Rank | Nat'l Rank | County | Score | Zone | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Pemiscot County | 87.1 | Crisis | Structural Poverty |
| 2 | 43 | Mississippi County | 82.0 | Crisis | Structural Poverty |
| 3 | 80 | Dunklin County | 79.2 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 4 | 143 | Ripley County | 76.4 | Serious | Structural Poverty |
| 5 | 179 | Wayne County | 75.2 | Serious | Structural Poverty |
| 6 | 229 | St. Louis city | 73.9 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 7 | 372 | Oregon County | 70.5 | Serious | Structural Poverty |
| 8 | 385 | New Madrid County | 70.1 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 9 | 390 | Butler County | 70.0 | Serious | Structural Poverty |
| 10 | 435 | Washington County | 69.1 | Serious | Structural Poverty |
| 11 | 518 | St. Francois County | 67.6 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 12 | 543 | Carter County | 67.1 | Serious | Structural Poverty |
| 13 | 547 | Scott County | 67.0 | Serious | Legal Distress |
| 14 | 557 | Hickory County | 66.8 | Serious | Structural Poverty |
| 15 | 566 | Jasper County | 66.8 | Serious | Housing Cost Burden |
| 16 | 587 | Jackson County | 66.3 | Serious | Housing Cost Burden |
| 17 | 591 | Buchanan County | 66.3 | Serious | Housing Cost Burden |
| 18 | 747 | Taney County | 63.4 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 19 | 754 | Saline County | 63.4 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 20 | 770 | Madison County | 63.0 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 21 | 777 | Henry County | 62.9 | Elevated | Housing Cost Burden |
| 22 | 800 | Benton County | 62.5 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 23 | 835 | Randolph County | 61.8 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 24 | 875 | Howell County | 61.2 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 25 | 882 | Texas County | 61.0 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 26 | 963 | Iron County | 59.8 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 27 | 1,030 | Cedar County | 58.8 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 28 | 1,059 | Bates County | 58.2 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 29 | 1,063 | Stoddard County | 58.2 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 30 | 1,077 | Pettis County | 58.0 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 31 | 1,091 | Dallas County | 57.8 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 32 | 1,104 | Greene County | 57.7 | Elevated | Housing Cost Burden |
| 33 | 1,125 | Morgan County | 57.4 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 34 | 1,127 | Audrain County | 57.4 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 35 | 1,131 | Bollinger County | 57.4 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 36 | 1,183 | St. Clair County | 56.3 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 37 | 1,220 | McDonald County | 55.8 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 38 | 1,238 | Laclede County | 55.5 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 39 | 1,248 | Dent County | 55.4 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 40 | 1,250 | Crawford County | 55.4 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 41 | 1,292 | Phelps County | 54.7 | Elevated | Housing Cost Burden |
| 42 | 1,303 | Lafayette County | 54.5 | Elevated | Economic Vitality |
| 43 | 1,346 | Wright County | 53.9 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 44 | 1,351 | Polk County | 53.8 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 45 | 1,389 | Vernon County | 53.1 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 46 | 1,390 | Clark County | 53.1 | Elevated | Legal Distress |
| 47 | 1,415 | Douglas County | 52.8 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 48 | 1,478 | Barton County | 51.6 | Elevated | Structural Poverty |
| 49 | 1,548 | Howard County | 50.4 | Elevated | Economic Vitality |
| 50 | 1,589 | Cape Girardeau County | 49.7 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 51 | 1,595 | Shannon County | 49.7 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 52 | 1,603 | Cass County | 49.5 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 53 | 1,623 | Barry County | 49.3 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 54 | 1,640 | Reynolds County | 49.0 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 55 | 1,648 | St. Louis County | 49.0 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 56 | 1,681 | Adair County | 48.5 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 57 | 1,697 | Miller County | 48.2 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 58 | 1,728 | Marion County | 47.7 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 59 | 1,746 | Pulaski County | 47.5 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 60 | 1,747 | Grundy County | 47.5 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 61 | 1,752 | Warren County | 47.4 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 62 | 1,770 | Lawrence County | 47.1 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 63 | 1,771 | Lincoln County | 47.1 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 64 | 1,777 | Clay County | 47.0 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 65 | 1,781 | Boone County | 46.9 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 66 | 1,789 | Callaway County | 46.8 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 67 | 1,803 | Ray County | 46.6 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 68 | 1,806 | Pike County | 46.6 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 69 | 1,859 | Johnson County | 45.8 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 70 | 1,865 | Newton County | 45.6 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 71 | 1,866 | Harrison County | 45.6 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 72 | 1,875 | Sullivan County | 45.4 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 73 | 1,882 | Perry County | 45.3 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 74 | 1,903 | Webster County | 44.9 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 75 | 1,911 | Montgomery County | 44.7 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 76 | 1,924 | Dade County | 44.6 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 77 | 1,938 | Macon County | 44.3 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 78 | 1,942 | Franklin County | 44.2 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 79 | 1,956 | Lewis County | 44.0 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 80 | 2,003 | Carroll County | 43.2 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 81 | 2,004 | Cooper County | 43.1 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 82 | 2,008 | Caldwell County | 43.1 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 83 | 2,020 | Linn County | 42.9 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 84 | 2,034 | Jefferson County | 42.6 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 85 | 2,059 | Gasconade County | 42.1 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 86 | 2,064 | Ozark County | 42.1 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 87 | 2,126 | Livingston County | 41.0 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 88 | 2,130 | DeKalb County | 41.0 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 89 | 2,170 | Nodaway County | 40.4 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 90 | 2,177 | Monroe County | 40.3 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 91 | 2,203 | Putnam County | 39.8 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 92 | 2,222 | Stone County | 39.5 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 93 | 2,225 | Clinton County | 39.4 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 94 | 2,262 | Maries County | 38.9 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 95 | 2,300 | Christian County | 38.2 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 96 | 2,361 | Camden County | 37.0 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 97 | 2,362 | Schuyler County | 37.0 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 98 | 2,377 | Worth County | 36.8 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 99 | 2,437 | Gentry County | 35.7 | Normal | Structural Poverty |
| 100 | 2,438 | Platte County | 35.7 | Normal | Legal Distress |
| 101 | 2,466 | Andrew County | 35.2 | Normal | Economic Vitality |
| 102 | 2,526 | Mercer County | 34.0 | Healthy | Structural Poverty |
| 103 | 2,571 | Moniteau County | 33.2 | Healthy | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 104 | 2,597 | Ralls County | 32.8 | Healthy | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 105 | 2,619 | Cole County | 32.5 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
| 106 | 2,632 | Scotland County | 32.3 | Healthy | Economic Vitality |
| 107 | 2,672 | Daviess County | 31.6 | Healthy | Structural Poverty |
| 108 | 2,681 | Knox County | 31.4 | Healthy | Structural Poverty |
| 109 | 2,730 | Ste. Genevieve County | 30.6 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
| 110 | 2,749 | St. Charles County | 30.1 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
| 111 | 2,779 | Holt County | 29.6 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
| 112 | 2,841 | Shelby County | 28.2 | Healthy | Structural Poverty |
| 113 | 2,862 | Atchison County | 27.7 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
| 114 | 2,868 | Chariton County | 27.5 | Healthy | Legal Distress |
| 115 | 3,078 | Osage County | 19.8 | Healthy | Housing Cost Burden |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using PCA-weighted percentile-rank scoring across five statistically derived dimensions: Consumer Credit Distress, Housing Cost Burden, Structural Poverty, Economic Vitality, and Legal Distress. A score of 50 means the county falls at the national median. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.
Crisis (≥80) — Among the most distressed counties in the country
Serious (65–80) — More distressed than roughly 80% of counties
Elevated (50–65) — More distressed than roughly half of counties
Normal (35–50) — Near the national median
Healthy (<35) — Less distressed than most counties