Missouri County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 115 counties in Missouri, scored 0–100 across five domains. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than; the average Missouri county scores 49.7. 28 counties score high, very high, or extreme.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts | Scores as of Aug 2026
Missouri Snapshot
115 Counties Scored
49.7 Mean Score
49.2 Median Score
99 Pemiscot County Most Distressed
3 Osage County Least Distressed
8 extreme county distress6 very high county distress14 high county distress10 moderate-high county distress19 moderate county distress12 moderate-low county distress20 low-moderate county distress12 low county distress12 very low county distress2 exceptionally low county distress
Score Label Distribution Missouri County Map
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Low county distress Moderate-low county distress Moderate county distress High county distress Extreme county distress
All 115 Missouri counties colored by county distress score range. 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 | Score Label | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Pemiscot County | 99 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 2 | 48 | Mississippi County | 98 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 3 | — | Dunklin County | 96 | extreme county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 4 | — | Wayne County | 96 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 5 | — | Ripley County | 95 | extreme county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 6 | — | St. Louis city | 94 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 7 | — | Butler County | 93 | extreme county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 8 | — | New Madrid County | 90 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 9 | — | Hickory County | 87 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 10 | — | Benton County | 87 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 11 | — | Washington County | 82 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 12 | — | Carter County | 81 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 13 | — | Oregon County | 80 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 14 | — | Iron County | 80 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 15 | — | Morgan County | 78 | high county distress | Labor |
| 16 | — | Taney County | 77 | high county distress | Delinquency |
| 17 | — | Texas County | 75 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 18 | — | Dallas County | 74 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 19 | — | Howell County | 74 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 20 | — | St. Francois County | 73 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 21 | — | Jackson County | 73 | high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 22 | — | Douglas County | 73 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 23 | — | Buchanan County | 71 | high county distress | Delinquency |
| 24 | — | Reynolds County | 71 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 25 | — | Madison County | 71 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 26 | — | Jasper County | 70 | high county distress | Delinquency |
| 27 | — | Shannon County | 70 | high county distress | Labor |
| 28 | — | Stoddard County | 70 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 29 | — | McDonald County | 69 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 30 | — | Wright County | 68 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 31 | — | Laclede County | 68 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 32 | — | Scott County | 66 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 33 | — | Pettis County | 64 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 34 | — | Audrain County | 64 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 35 | — | Cedar County | 63 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 36 | — | Henry County | 61 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 37 | — | Dent County | 61 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 38 | — | Saline County | 61 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 39 | — | Crawford County | 59 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 40 | — | Adair County | 57 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 41 | — | Clark County | 57 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 42 | — | Vernon County | 57 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 43 | — | Barton County | 57 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 44 | — | Pike County | 56 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 45 | — | Ozark County | 56 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 46 | — | Bollinger County | 55 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 47 | — | Marion County | 55 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 48 | — | Barry County | 54 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 49 | — | Lafayette County | 54 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 50 | — | St. Clair County | 53 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 51 | — | Pulaski County | 52 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 52 | — | Stone County | 52 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 53 | — | Grundy County | 52 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 54 | — | Phelps County | 51 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 55 | — | Randolph County | 51 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 56 | — | Newton County | 51 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 57 | — | Harrison County | 50 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 58 | — | Webster County | 49 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 59 | — | Greene County | 47 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 60 | — | Sullivan County | 47 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 61 | — | Polk County | 47 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 62 | — | Miller County | 47 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 63 | — | Bates County | 47 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 64 | — | Ray County | 45 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 65 | — | Lawrence County | 43 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 66 | — | Dade County | 43 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 67 | — | Caldwell County | 41 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 68 | — | Callaway County | 41 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 69 | — | St. Louis County | 40 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 70 | — | Montgomery County | 39 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 71 | — | Cape Girardeau County | 39 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 72 | — | Monroe County | 36 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 73 | — | Howard County | 35 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 74 | — | Camden County | 35 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 75 | — | Carroll County | 34 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 76 | — | Schuyler County | 34 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 77 | — | Cass County | 34 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 78 | — | Clinton County | 34 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 79 | — | Linn County | 33 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 80 | — | Clay County | 33 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 81 | — | Maries County | 32 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 82 | — | Mercer County | 32 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 83 | — | Lincoln County | 32 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 84 | — | Franklin County | 32 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 85 | — | Knox County | 31 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 86 | — | Macon County | 31 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 87 | — | DeKalb County | 30 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 88 | — | Lewis County | 30 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 89 | — | Gasconade County | 30 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 90 | — | Cooper County | 29 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 91 | — | Johnson County | 28 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 92 | — | Perry County | 28 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 93 | — | Warren County | 28 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 94 | — | Jefferson County | 28 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 95 | — | Gentry County | 26 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 96 | — | Shelby County | 25 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 97 | — | Livingston County | 25 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 98 | — | Boone County | 23 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 99 | — | Ralls County | 23 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 100 | — | Daviess County | 21 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 101 | — | Putnam County | 20 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 102 | — | Scotland County | 19 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 103 | — | Worth County | 19 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 104 | — | Nodaway County | 19 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 105 | — | Holt County | 18 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 106 | — | Atchison County | 18 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 107 | — | Christian County | 17 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 108 | — | Moniteau County | 17 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 109 | — | Platte County | 17 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 110 | — | Ste. Genevieve County | 11 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 111 | — | Chariton County | 10 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 112 | — | Cole County | 10 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 113 | — | Andrew County | 10 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 114 | — | St. Charles County | 8 | exceptionally low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 115 | — | Osage County | 3 | exceptionally low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using five equal-weighted domains. Each domain averages its member indicators' county ranks, the domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every U.S. county. So a county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. National ranks are shown only for the 100 most and 100 least distressed counties, because ranks in between move between updates. Counties with identical composite scores share a rank, marked T- for tied.
extreme county distress — 8 Missouri counties
very high county distress — 6 Missouri counties
high county distress — 14 Missouri counties
moderate-high county distress — 10 Missouri counties
moderate county distress — 19 Missouri counties
moderate-low county distress — 12 Missouri counties
low-moderate county distress — 20 Missouri counties
low county distress — 12 Missouri counties
very low county distress — 12 Missouri counties
exceptionally low county distress — 2 Missouri counties