Attala County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 74.2 | 17,359 people · 26th most distressed in Mississippi
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Attala County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 74.2 — 218th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Legal Distress, where bankruptcy filing rates are well above the national average. Within Mississippi, it ranks 26th of 82 counties. Among its 9 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Attala County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 95.0 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 95.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Consumer Credit Distress 82.6
Debt in Collections 84
Medical Debt 69
Auto Loan Delinquency 94
Credit Card Delinquency 77
Uninsured Rate 59
Subprime Credit Population 94
Housing Cost Burden 74.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 85
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 19
Homeownership Rate 38
Structural Poverty 63.9
Unemployment Rate 27
Poverty Rate 84
Income vs. State Median 35
Child Poverty Rate 86
Disability Rate 64
Transfer Income Dependency 86
Economic Vitality 30.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 36
Rent-to-Income Ratio 32
Business Formation Rate 26
House Price Change (YoY) 6

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Attala County
Attala County, MS 74.2 Serious —
Yazoo County, MS 84.8 Crisis +10.6
Holmes County, MS 82.7 Crisis +8.4
Montgomery County, MS 79.3 Serious +5.0
Winston County, MS 74.1 Serious -0.2
Leake County, MS 71.5 Serious -2.7
Neshoba County, MS 70.8 Serious -3.5
Choctaw County, MS 59.7 Elevated -14.6
Carroll County, MS 58.4 Elevated -15.9
Madison County, MS 55.3 Elevated -18.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Attala County
McIntosh County, GA 74.3 Serious +0.0
Copiah County, MS 74.2 Serious -0.1
Red River County, TX 74.2 Serious -0.1
Greene County, AR 74.1 Serious -0.1
Clarendon County, SC 74.4 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Attala County

Find an Attorney

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

Mississippi Bar Lawyer Referral 601-948-4471

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Attala 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 Attala County, Mississippi?

    Attala County has a County Distress Index score of 74.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 218th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Attala County?

    The primary driver of distress in Attala County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Attala County compare to neighboring counties?

    Attala County (74.2) can be compared to its 9 neighboring counties: Yazoo County, MS (84.8); Holmes County, MS (82.7); Montgomery County, MS (79.3).

  • 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). Attala County's score of 74.2 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Attala 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 Attala County?

    Attala County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 17,359 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.