City risk detail
Household financial stress in Helena-West Helena, AR
Household financial stress reflects how close households are to the edge. It blends income, poverty exposure, housing cost burden, and safety-net reliance to show where families have less cushion for unexpected bills.
Risk score
70
/ 100
Risk metrics
- Median household income$32,466
- Households under 200% poverty60.1%
- Rent-burdened households (30%+)56.3%
- Mortgage-burdened households (30%+)15.9%
- Households receiving SNAP36.0%
- Income trend (YoY)+4.3%
Data status: Available
Scope: City-level (place) | Source: ACS 2023 5-year | 2023
Top drivers in this score
Households receiving SNAP
36.0%
Risk pressure percentile: 94
Households under 200% poverty
60.1%
Risk pressure percentile: 90
Median household income
$32,466
Risk pressure percentile: 84
How this compares
Approximate percentile: 70 of 100
Coverage and confidence
Most core metrics are available at city level.
Why it matters
In Helena-West Helena, Higher stress means more households are cost-burdened and rely on SNAP or other supports, leaving less room for savings.
What we measure
- Median household income
- Households under 200% poverty
- Rent-burdened households (30%+)
- Mortgage-burdened households (30%+)
- Households receiving SNAP
- Income trend (YoY)
Key sources
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year
Compare this risk across nearby cities
Common questions
What does a higher household financial stress score mean?
It signals more households facing cost burdens, lower incomes, and higher poverty exposure relative to other places.
Why use 200% of the poverty line?
It captures near-poor households that are still financially fragile but fall above the official poverty threshold.
How current is the data?
We use the most recent ACS 5-year release, which updates annually and smooths year-to-year volatility.
Related risks
City overview →Debt and credit pressure
Debt and credit pressure tracks how leveraged households are and how often credit stress shows up. Higher subprime share, delinquency, and revolving utilization indicate tighter credit access and greater reliance on borrowing.
Cost of living exposure
Cost of living exposure focuses on housing costs relative to income. Rising rents, higher monthly housing costs, and elevated rent-to-income ratios can squeeze budgets even when incomes rise.
Legal and collection risk
Legal and collection risk uses civil court filings per capita and caseload trends to capture the legal environment. Higher civil filing rates can signal more collection activity and a more intense enforcement climate.