George County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.4 | 25,619 people · 78th most distressed in Mississippi
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George County, MS registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.4 — 1179th 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 78th 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. George County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 81.2 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 81.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 81
Consumer Credit Distress 71.6
Debt in Collections 67
Medical Debt 38
Auto Loan Delinquency 73
Credit Card Delinquency 84
Uninsured Rate 82
Subprime Credit Population 83
Structural Poverty 52.0
Unemployment Rate 64
Poverty Rate 57
Income vs. State Median 11
Child Poverty Rate 55
Disability Rate 85
Transfer Income Dependency 58
Economic Vitality 48.4
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 63
Rent-to-Income Ratio 15
Business Formation Rate 37
House Price Change (YoY) 99
Housing Cost Burden 21.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 11
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 27
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 60
Homeownership Rate 6

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. George County
George County, MS 56.4 Elevated —
Mobile County, AL 76.2 Serious +19.9
Stone County, MS 65.3 Serious +8.9
Jackson County, MS 64.6 Elevated +8.3
Perry County, MS 62.0 Elevated +5.6
Greene County, MS 60.9 Elevated +4.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. George County
Lewis County, TN 56.3 Elevated -0.1
Anderson County, KY 56.5 Elevated +0.1
St. James Parish, LA 56.2 Elevated -0.1
Love County, OK 56.2 Elevated -0.1
Malheur County, OR 56.2 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in George 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 George 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 George County, Mississippi?

    George County has a County Distress Index score of 56.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,179th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 78th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in George County?

    The primary driver of distress in George County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 81.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does George County compare to neighboring counties?

    George County (56.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Mobile County, AL (76.2); Stone County, MS (65.3); Jackson County, MS (64.6).

  • 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). George County's score of 56.4 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    George 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 George County?

    George County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 25,619 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.