Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

County Distress Index: Serious · 78.7 | 8,414 people · 7th most distressed in Louisiana
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Catahoula Parish, LA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 78.7 — 89th 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 7th of 64 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Catahoula Parish's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 88.8 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 88.8
Unemployment Rate 78
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 68
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Legal Distress 88.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 88
Consumer Credit Distress 87.5
Debt in Collections 88
Medical Debt 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 92
Credit Card Delinquency 94
Uninsured Rate 46
Subprime Credit Population 88
Economic Vitality 60.7
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 56
Rent-to-Income Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 34
House Price Change (YoY) 80
Housing Cost Burden 58.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 71
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 69
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 41

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Catahoula Parish
Catahoula Parish, LA 78.7 Serious —
Concordia Parish, LA 80.3 Crisis +1.5
Avoyelles Parish, LA 77.8 Serious -0.9
Caldwell Parish, LA 73.3 Serious -5.4
Tensas Parish, LA 71.2 Serious -7.6
Franklin Parish, LA 68.0 Serious -10.7
LaSalle Parish, LA 59.9 Elevated -18.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Catahoula Parish
Montgomery County, MS 79.3 Serious +0.5
Madison Parish, LA 78.1 Serious -0.7
Sharkey County, MS 79.7 Serious +1.0
Humphreys County, MS 79.7 Serious +1.0
Fulton County, KY 79.9 Serious +1.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Catahoula 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 Catahoula 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

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Catahoula Parish, Louisiana?

    Catahoula Parish has a County Distress Index score of 78.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 89th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 7th in Louisiana out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Catahoula Parish?

    The primary driver of distress in Catahoula Parish is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 88.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Catahoula Parish compare to neighboring counties?

    Catahoula Parish (78.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Concordia Parish, LA (80.3); Avoyelles Parish, LA (77.8); Caldwell Parish, LA (73.3).

  • 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). Catahoula Parish's score of 78.7 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Catahoula 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 Catahoula Parish?

    Catahoula Parish, Louisiana has a population of approximately 8,414 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.