Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana

County Distress Index: Serious · 77.8 | 38,408 people · 10th most distressed in Louisiana
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Avoyelles Parish, LA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 77.8 — 110th 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 Louisiana, it ranks 10th of 64 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Avoyelles Parish's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 88.5 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 88.5
Unemployment Rate 72
Poverty Rate 97
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 97
Disability Rate 96
Transfer Income Dependency 85
Legal Distress 86.6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 87
Housing Cost Burden 79.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 85
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 55
Homeownership Rate 75
Consumer Credit Distress 79.2
Debt in Collections 89
Medical Debt 82
Auto Loan Delinquency 81
Credit Card Delinquency 66
Uninsured Rate 45
Subprime Credit Population 89
Economic Vitality 45.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 44
Rent-to-Income Ratio 67
Business Formation Rate 24
House Price Change (YoY) 24

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Avoyelles Parish
Avoyelles Parish, LA 77.8 Serious —
Concordia Parish, LA 80.3 Crisis +2.4
Catahoula Parish, LA 78.7 Serious +0.9
Rapides Parish, LA 76.5 Serious -1.3
St. Landry Parish, LA 76.1 Serious -1.7
Evangeline Parish, LA 69.4 Serious -8.4
Pointe Coupee Parish, LA 69.2 Serious -8.6
LaSalle Parish, LA 59.9 Elevated -17.9
West Feliciana Parish, LA 57.5 Elevated -20.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Avoyelles Parish
Hardeman County, TN 77.8 Serious +0.0
Early County, GA 77.9 Serious +0.1
Bradford County, FL 78.0 Serious +0.1
Burke County, GA 78.0 Serious +0.1
Hendry County, FL 77.7 Serious -0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Avoyelles Parish as a CSV file.

Find Help in Avoyelles Parish

Find an Attorney

Louisiana State Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Louisiana State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 1-800-421-5722

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Avoyelles Parish residents at no cost.

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services 504-529-1000
Acadiana Legal Service Corporation 1-800-256-1175
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation (504) 529-1000

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 Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana?

    Avoyelles Parish has a County Distress Index score of 77.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 110th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Louisiana out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Avoyelles Parish?

    The primary driver of distress in Avoyelles Parish is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 88.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Avoyelles Parish compare to neighboring counties?

    Avoyelles Parish (77.8) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Concordia Parish, LA (80.3); Catahoula Parish, LA (78.7); Rapides Parish, LA (76.5).

  • 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). Avoyelles Parish's score of 77.8 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

  • What data sources power Avoyelles Parish's CDI score?

    Avoyelles Parish'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 Avoyelles Parish?

    Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana has a population of approximately 38,408 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.