Ripley County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Serious · 76.4 | 10,806 people · 4th most distressed in Missouri
American Default Research

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Ripley County, MO shows significant household financial distress with a score of 76.4 — 143rd 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 4th 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. Ripley County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 86.5 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 86.5
Unemployment Rate 49
Poverty Rate 87
Income vs. State Median 94
Child Poverty Rate 86
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Legal Distress 77.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 78
Consumer Credit Distress 77.4
Debt in Collections 81
Medical Debt 71
Auto Loan Delinquency 67
Credit Card Delinquency 81
Uninsured Rate 92
Subprime Credit Population 78
Economic Vitality 74.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 89
Rent-to-Income Ratio 77
Business Formation Rate 52
House Price Change (YoY) 35
Housing Cost Burden 68.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 77
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 76
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 79
Homeownership Rate 24

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Ripley County
Ripley County, MO 76.4 Serious —
Oregon County, MO 70.5 Serious -5.9
Butler County, MO 70.0 Serious -6.4
Carter County, MO 67.1 Serious -9.3
Clay County, AR 63.2 Elevated -13.3
Randolph County, AR 62.3 Elevated -14.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Ripley County
Danville city, VA 76.4 Serious -0.0
Jackson County, FL 76.3 Serious -0.1
Bertie County, NC 76.6 Serious +0.2
Willacy County, TX 76.2 Serious -0.2
Martinsville city, VA 76.7 Serious +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Ripley 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 Ripley 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 Ripley County, Missouri?

    Ripley County has a County Distress Index score of 76.4 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 143rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ripley County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ripley County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 86.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Ripley County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ripley County (76.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Oregon County, MO (70.5); Butler County, MO (70.0); Carter County, MO (67.1).

  • 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). Ripley County's score of 76.4 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Ripley 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 Ripley County?

    Ripley County, Missouri has a population of approximately 10,806 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.