Copiah County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 74.2 | 27,664 people · 27th most distressed in Mississippi
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Copiah County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 74.2 — 219th 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 27th of 82 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Copiah County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 98.8 — worse than roughly 99% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 98.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 99
Consumer Credit Distress 91.7
Debt in Collections 92
Medical Debt 84
Auto Loan Delinquency 89
Credit Card Delinquency 96
Uninsured Rate 85
Subprime Credit Population 97
Economic Vitality 77.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Rent-to-Income Ratio 99
Business Formation Rate 13
House Price Change (YoY) 46
Structural Poverty 67.3
Unemployment Rate 27
Poverty Rate 90
Income vs. State Median 56
Child Poverty Rate 92
Disability Rate 46
Transfer Income Dependency 85
Housing Cost Burden 31.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 26
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 36
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 4
Homeownership Rate 52

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Copiah County
Copiah County, MS 74.2 Serious —
Hinds County, MS 83.6 Crisis +9.4
Lawrence County, MS 74.6 Serious +0.4
Claiborne County, MS 69.2 Serious -4.9
Jefferson County, MS 69.0 Serious -5.2
Simpson County, MS 68.8 Serious -5.3
Lincoln County, MS 64.9 Elevated -9.2
Rankin County, MS 63.7 Elevated -10.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Copiah County
Red River County, TX 74.2 Serious 0.0
Greene County, AR 74.1 Serious -0.0
Marlboro County, SC 74.1 Serious -0.0
Grenada County, MS 74.1 Serious -0.1
Winston County, MS 74.1 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Copiah 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 Copiah 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 Copiah County, Mississippi?

    Copiah County has a County Distress Index score of 74.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 219th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 27th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Copiah County?

    The primary driver of distress in Copiah County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 98.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Copiah County compare to neighboring counties?

    Copiah County (74.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Hinds County, MS (83.6); Lawrence County, MS (74.6); Claiborne County, MS (69.2).

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

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

    Copiah 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 Copiah County?

    Copiah County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 27,664 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.