East Carroll Parish, Louisiana

County Distress Index: Crisis · 82.9 | 6,829 people · 1st most distressed in Louisiana
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East Carroll Parish, LA ranks among the most financially distressed counties in America with a score of 82.9 — 31st 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 1st of 64 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. East Carroll Parish's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 94.0 — worse than roughly 94% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 94.0
Unemployment Rate 95
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 88
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Legal Distress 92.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 93
Housing Cost Burden 86.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 18
Homeownership Rate 93
Consumer Credit Distress 81.8
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 52
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 82
Uninsured Rate 31
Subprime Credit Population 95
Economic Vitality 56.6
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Rent-to-Income Ratio 93
Business Formation Rate 37
House Price Change (YoY) 66

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. East Carroll Parish
East Carroll Parish, LA 82.9 Crisis —
Madison Parish, LA 78.1 Serious -4.9
Chicot County, AR 76.1 Serious -6.9
Warren County, MS 73.8 Serious -9.1
Richland Parish, LA 73.0 Serious -10.0
Issaquena County, MS 63.8 Elevated -19.1
West Carroll Parish, LA 53.7 Elevated -29.2

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. East Carroll Parish
Bullock County, AL 82.5 Crisis -0.4
Noxubee County, MS 83.5 Crisis +0.5
Lee County, AR 83.7 Crisis +0.7
Wilkinson County, MS 81.5 Crisis -1.5
Randolph County, GA 84.9 Crisis +2.0

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for East Carroll Parish as a CSV file.

Find Help in East Carroll 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 East Carroll 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 East Carroll Parish, Louisiana?

    East Carroll Parish has a County Distress Index score of 82.9 out of 100, placing it in the Crisis zone. It ranks 31st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Louisiana out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in East Carroll Parish?

    The primary driver of distress in East Carroll Parish is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 94.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does East Carroll Parish compare to neighboring counties?

    East Carroll Parish (82.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Madison Parish, LA (78.1); Chicot County, AR (76.1); Warren County, MS (73.8).

  • 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 Crisis 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). East Carroll Parish's score of 82.9 sits in the Crisis zone (86 and above).

  • What data sources power East Carroll Parish's CDI score?

    East Carroll 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 East Carroll Parish?

    East Carroll Parish, Louisiana has a population of approximately 6,829 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.