Butler County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.0 | 41,948 people · 9th most distressed in Missouri
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Butler County, MO shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.0 — 390th 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 Missouri, it ranks 9th of 115 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Butler County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 82.2 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 82.2
Unemployment Rate 61
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 83
Child Poverty Rate 79
Disability Rate 93
Transfer Income Dependency 90
Consumer Credit Distress 77.7
Debt in Collections 89
Medical Debt 87
Auto Loan Delinquency 56
Credit Card Delinquency 71
Uninsured Rate 83
Subprime Credit Population 81
Legal Distress 74.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 75
Housing Cost Burden 56.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 64
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 37
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 57
Homeownership Rate 84
Economic Vitality 41.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 33
Rent-to-Income Ratio 62
Business Formation Rate 43
House Price Change (YoY) 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Butler County
Butler County, MO 70.0 Serious —
Dunklin County, MO 79.2 Serious +9.2
Ripley County, MO 76.4 Serious +6.4
Wayne County, MO 75.2 Serious +5.2
Carter County, MO 67.1 Serious -2.9
Clay County, AR 63.2 Elevated -6.8
Stoddard County, MO 58.2 Elevated -11.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Butler County
St. Helena Parish, LA 70.0 Serious +0.0
Duplin County, NC 70.0 Serious +0.0
Estill County, KY 70.0 Serious +0.0
New Madrid County, MO 70.1 Serious +0.1
Clarke County, MS 70.1 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Butler County

Find an Attorney

Missouri Bar — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Missouri Bar — Lawyer Referral Service 573-635-4128

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Butler County residents at no cost.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri 314-534-4200 (St. Louis); 1-800-444-0514 (statewide hotline)
Legal Aid of Western Missouri 816-474-6750 (Kansas City); 1-800-748-2057 (statewide hotline)
Central Missouri Legal Services 573-442-0116
The Legal Aid and Defender Association (LAD) 816-474-6750
Legal Services of Southern Missouri (417) 881-1397
Mid-Missouri Legal Services Corporation (573) 442-0116

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Butler County, Missouri?

    Butler County has a County Distress Index score of 70.0 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 390th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 9th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Butler County?

    The primary driver of distress in Butler County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 82.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Butler County compare to neighboring counties?

    Butler County (70.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Dunklin County, MO (79.2); Ripley County, MO (76.4); Wayne County, MO (75.2).

  • 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). Butler County's score of 70.0 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Butler 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 Butler County?

    Butler County, Missouri has a population of approximately 41,948 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.