Dent County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.4 | 14,647 people · 39th most distressed in Missouri
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Dent County, MO registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.4 — 1248th 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 39th of 115 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Dent County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 76.1 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 76.1
Unemployment Rate 34
Poverty Rate 76
Income vs. State Median 79
Child Poverty Rate 73
Disability Rate 89
Transfer Income Dependency 91
Consumer Credit Distress 65.0
Debt in Collections 64
Medical Debt 51
Auto Loan Delinquency 73
Credit Card Delinquency 64
Uninsured Rate 78
Subprime Credit Population 64
Economic Vitality 52.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 53
Rent-to-Income Ratio 56
Business Formation Rate 62
House Price Change (YoY) 16
Legal Distress 40.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 41
Housing Cost Burden 28.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 34
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 20
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 29
Homeownership Rate 37

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Dent County
Dent County, MO 55.4 Elevated —
Texas County, MO 61.0 Elevated +5.6
Iron County, MO 59.8 Elevated +4.4
Crawford County, MO 55.4 Elevated -0.0
Phelps County, MO 54.7 Elevated -0.7
Shannon County, MO 49.7 Normal -5.7
Reynolds County, MO 49.0 Normal -6.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Dent County
Logan County, KY 55.4 Elevated 0.0
Crawford County, MO 55.4 Elevated -0.0
Logan County, AR 55.5 Elevated +0.1
Switzerland County, IN 55.5 Elevated +0.1
Hancock County, MS 55.5 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Dent 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 Dent 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 Dent County, Missouri?

    Dent County has a County Distress Index score of 55.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,248th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 39th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Dent County?

    The primary driver of distress in Dent County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 76.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Dent County compare to neighboring counties?

    Dent County (55.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Texas County, MO (61.0); Iron County, MO (59.8); Crawford County, MO (55.4).

  • 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). Dent County's score of 55.4 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Dent 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 Dent County?

    Dent County, Missouri has a population of approximately 14,647 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.