Adams County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 76.9 | 28,746 people · 19th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

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Adams County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 76.9 — 132nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Mississippi, it ranks 19th of 82 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Adams County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 90.7 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 90.7
Debt in Collections 93
Medical Debt 77
Auto Loan Delinquency 99
Credit Card Delinquency 99
Uninsured Rate 75
Subprime Credit Population 90
Legal Distress 90.1
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 90
Structural Poverty 76.8
Unemployment Rate 67
Poverty Rate 96
Income vs. State Median 72
Child Poverty Rate 94
Disability Rate 46
Transfer Income Dependency 84
Housing Cost Burden 57.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 44
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 67
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 35
Homeownership Rate 81
Economic Vitality 42.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 42
Rent-to-Income Ratio 65
Business Formation Rate 19
House Price Change (YoY) 20

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Adams County
Adams County, MS 76.9 Serious —
Wilkinson County, MS 81.5 Crisis +4.6
Concordia Parish, LA 80.3 Crisis +3.4
Tensas Parish, LA 71.2 Serious -5.7
Jefferson County, MS 69.0 Serious -7.9
Franklin County, MS 63.2 Elevated -13.7

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Adams County
Mississippi County, AR 76.8 Serious -0.0
Terry County, TX 76.8 Serious -0.1
Seminole County, OK 77.0 Serious +0.1
Sumter County, AL 76.7 Serious -0.1
Worth County, GA 76.7 Serious -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Adams County as a CSV file.

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Mississippi Bar Lawyer Referral 601-948-4471

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Adams County residents at no cost.

Mississippi Center for Legal Services 1-800-498-1804
North Mississippi Rural Legal Services 1-800-898-8731

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Adams County, Mississippi?

    Adams County has a County Distress Index score of 76.9 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 132nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 19th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Adams County?

    The primary driver of distress in Adams County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 90.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Adams County compare to neighboring counties?

    Adams County (76.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Wilkinson County, MS (81.5); Concordia Parish, LA (80.3); Tensas Parish, LA (71.2).

  • 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). Adams County's score of 76.9 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

  • What data sources power Adams County's CDI score?

    Adams County'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 Adams County?

    Adams County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 28,746 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.