Choctaw County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.7 | 8,088 people · 74th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

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Choctaw County, MS registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.7 — 977th 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 74th of 82 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Choctaw County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 93.8 — worse than roughly 94% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 93.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 94
Consumer Credit Distress 81.0
Debt in Collections 73
Medical Debt 77
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Uninsured Rate 71
Subprime Credit Population 79
Structural Poverty 70.4
Unemployment Rate 55
Poverty Rate 73
Income vs. State Median 42
Child Poverty Rate 85
Disability Rate 93
Transfer Income Dependency 80
Economic Vitality 26.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 6
Rent-to-Income Ratio 39
Business Formation Rate 46
House Price Change (YoY) 52
Housing Cost Burden 10.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 11
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 12
Homeownership Rate 18

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Choctaw County
Choctaw County, MS 59.7 Elevated —
Montgomery County, MS 79.3 Serious +19.6
Oktibbeha County, MS 74.6 Serious +15.0
Attala County, MS 74.2 Serious +14.6
Winston County, MS 74.1 Serious +14.4
Webster County, MS 61.6 Elevated +1.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Choctaw County
Jack County, TX 59.7 Elevated +0.0
Donley County, TX 59.6 Elevated -0.0
Todd County, SD 59.6 Elevated -0.0
Menifee County, KY 59.6 Elevated -0.1
Galax city, VA 59.6 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Choctaw County

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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 Choctaw 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 Choctaw County, Mississippi?

    Choctaw County has a County Distress Index score of 59.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 977th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 74th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Choctaw County?

    The primary driver of distress in Choctaw County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 93.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Choctaw County compare to neighboring counties?

    Choctaw County (59.7) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Montgomery County, MS (79.3); Oktibbeha County, MS (74.6); Attala County, MS (74.2).

  • 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 Elevated 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). Choctaw County's score of 59.7 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Choctaw 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 Choctaw County?

    Choctaw County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 8,088 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.