Bossier Parish, Louisiana
More than double the national median for bankruptcy filing rate — and 39.6× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Glacier County, MT — 7).
Main Findings
Bossier Parish, Louisiana ranks 1,038th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a bankruptcy filing rate of 289 — more than double the national median of 126.
- 1,038th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 53rd in Louisiana.
- A bankruptcy filing rate of 289 (U.S. median 126). Bankruptcy filing rate at the 90th percentile nationally.
- Subprime credit share at 32% — national median 23%, ranked at the 79th percentile.
- Severe rent burden (50%+) at 23% — national median 18%, ranked at the 81st percentile.
- Uninsured rate at 10% — national median 8%, ranked at the 63rd percentile.
"Bossier Parish ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."
"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."
The Indicators Behind Bossier Parish's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Bossier Parish's value shown alongside LA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Bossier Parish | LA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 67 · Rank 979 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 8% | 5% | 71st | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 8% | 5% | 51st | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 32% | 35% | 23% | 79th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 83 · Rank 305 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 31% | 34% | 23% | 77th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 289 | 225 | 126 | 90th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 53 · Rank 1,395 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 19% | 22% | 21% | 26th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 23% | 21% | 18% | 81st | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 47 · Rank 1,630 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 47th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 48 · Rank 1,647 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 19% | 28% | 18% | 56th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 14% | 17% | 16% | 35th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 14% | 20% | 14% | 52nd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 23% | 30% | 27% | 33rd | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 10% | 8% | 8% | 63rd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Bossier Parish data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 156-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
BENTON, La. — Bossier Parish ranks 1,038th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 60 out of 100 places Bossier Parish in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,037 counties rank more distressed. Within Louisiana, Bossier Parish ranks 53rd of 64 parishes.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies default & legal as the primary driver in Bossier Parish. A bankruptcy filing rate of 289 — more than double the national median of 126.
"Bossier Parish ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bossier Parish's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Bossier Parish's distress score?
How does Bossier Parish compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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