Hickory County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.8 | 8,718 people · 14th most distressed in Missouri
American Default Research

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Hickory County, MO shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.8 — 557th 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 14th of 115 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Hickory County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 87.5 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 87.5
Unemployment Rate 87
Poverty Rate 76
Income vs. State Median 83
Child Poverty Rate 87
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Housing Cost Burden 71.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 88
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 34
Homeownership Rate 5
Consumer Credit Distress 65.6
Debt in Collections 68
Medical Debt 92
Auto Loan Delinquency 78
Credit Card Delinquency 67
Uninsured Rate 67
Subprime Credit Population 35
Economic Vitality 59.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 77
Rent-to-Income Ratio 59
Business Formation Rate 40
House Price Change (YoY) 5
Legal Distress 31.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 32

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Hickory County
Hickory County, MO 66.8 Serious —
Benton County, MO 62.5 Elevated -4.3
Dallas County, MO 57.8 Elevated -9.0
St. Clair County, MO 56.3 Elevated -10.5
Polk County, MO 53.8 Elevated -13.0
Camden County, MO 37.0 Normal -29.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Hickory County
Stewart County, GA 66.9 Serious +0.0
Wilkes County, GA 66.8 Serious -0.0
Clay County, WV 66.8 Serious -0.0
Wheeler County, GA 66.7 Serious -0.1
Benton County, MS 66.7 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hickory 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 Hickory 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 Hickory County, Missouri?

    Hickory County has a County Distress Index score of 66.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 557th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 14th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hickory County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hickory County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 87.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Hickory County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hickory County (66.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Benton County, MO (62.5); Dallas County, MO (57.8); St. Clair County, MO (56.3).

  • 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). Hickory County's score of 66.8 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Hickory 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 Hickory County?

    Hickory County, Missouri has a population of approximately 8,718 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.