MISI Score
28.2
Watch
Project NC / Polk County
Tryon
BOTH · Polk CountyDistressedPWSID NC0175010
Score Confidence
0.9%
Peer Percentile
63.2th
As of
Jun 2, 2026
EXPLANATION
Score Drivers
- MISI score is 28.246 (Watch).
- Lead & Copper Rule Risk adds 7.994 points. Lead and copper risk contributes +8 because direct lead sample exceedances were recorded: lead sample exceedances=4, copper sample exceedances=0, legacy action-level exceedances=0, open LCR violations=0. variance weighting adjusted headline contribution from 8 to 7.994.
- Compliance Escalation adds 5.929 points. Operational compliance contributes +6: 18 violations or enforcement actions have been recorded within the last three years. variance weighting adjusted headline contribution from 6.000000 to 5.929.
- Days Cash on Hand adds 4.044 points. Days-cash contributes +5: current days cash on hand is 81.810 days from connector-sourced ws_days_cash (as of 2024-06-30). variance weighting adjusted headline contribution from 5 to 4.044.
- Current Drought Severity adds 3.957 points. Current drought severity contributes +4: USDM severity index is 0.5000 as of 2026-05-26. variance weighting adjusted headline contribution from 4 to 3.957.
- Missing or unresolved factors: Infrastructure Capital Gap, Project Status Staleness.
MARKET INTERPRETATION
What the data suggests
Tryon is a smaller community water system, serving approximately 5,494 residents. At the latest reading, Munimetric flags the system as showing early but meaningful signs of structural stress.
The score is being driven mainly by Operational Stress, which is running high in the model, with Capex Pressure adding further pressure. In other words, Operational Stress is doing most of the heavy lifting in the headline score.
6 active stress signals are attached to this system, including 2 at high severity. That signal mix points to a system where several warning indicators are firing at once, not just one extreme outlier.
Within its peer cohort, this system ranks around the 63rd percentile on measured stress, placing it above most of its peers on measured stress, though not yet in the most extreme tier.
Recent score history has been relatively steady, consistent with the system's overall profile.
This summary is based on structured, source-backed public data and is intended for research and monitoring only. It is not investment advice, a credit opinion, or municipal advisory guidance.
SCORE STACK
Family Contributions
Operational Stress13.5 / 20.0
Capex Pressure8.0 / 20.0
Revenue Fragility6.8 / 20.0
Rate Constraint0.0 / 20.0
Governance Risk0.0 / 20.0
SL 2020-79
SWIA Assessment History
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 12 |
ACTIVE SIGNALS
6 Signals
Compliance Escalation
Repeated or serious compliance failures often indicate rising operational and infrastructure stress.
Score impact: 5.9 · Family: Operational Stress
Monitoring / Reporting Failures
Recurring monitoring or reporting failures often signal weak administrative capacity or deteriorating operational discipline.
Score impact: 3.6 · Family: Operational Stress
Population Served Decline
A shrinking served population weakens the customer base and raises infrastructure cost per customer.
Score impact: 2.7 · Family: Revenue Fragility
Days Cash on Hand
Weak unrestricted liquidity reduces the utility's ability to absorb rate, capex, or operating shocks.
Score impact: 4.0 · Family: Revenue Fragility
Current Drought Severity
Active drought conditions stress source-water availability and treatment operations.
Score impact: 4.0 · Family: Operational Stress
Lead & Copper Rule Risk
Lead and copper exceedances and replacement obligations can drive near-term treatment and capital pressure.
Score impact: 8.0 · Family: Capex Pressure
HISTORY
Score Trend
Latest
28.2
Trend
+15.2
Observations
50
NC TREASURER FBA
Financial Benchmarks
Population1,564
General Fund Expenditure$2.1M
Fund Balance Available$2.0M
Fund Balance %93.7%
Cash & Investments$3.1M
Assessed Valuation$219.4M
Tax Rate0.6
Effective Tax Rate0.4
Tax Collection %97.7%
Amount Uncollected$28K
Days Cash on Hand
82
Days Cash As Of
Jun 30, 2024
Population Served
5,494