Itawamba County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.5 | 24,093 people · 82nd most distressed in Mississippi
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Itawamba County, MS registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.5 — 1547th 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 82nd of 82 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Itawamba County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 93.7 — worse than roughly 94% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 93.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 94
Consumer Credit Distress 66.6
Debt in Collections 49
Medical Debt 72
Auto Loan Delinquency 59
Credit Card Delinquency 71
Uninsured Rate 64
Subprime Credit Population 85
Economic Vitality 47.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 51
Rent-to-Income Ratio 26
Business Formation Rate 54
House Price Change (YoY) 81
Structural Poverty 40.1
Unemployment Rate 6
Poverty Rate 54
Income vs. State Median 21
Child Poverty Rate 46
Disability Rate 32
Transfer Income Dependency 71
Housing Cost Burden 9.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 8
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 4
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 12
Homeownership Rate 22

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Itawamba County
Itawamba County, MS 50.5 Elevated —
Lee County, MS 66.9 Serious +16.4
Monroe County, MS 65.4 Serious +14.9
Marion County, AL 63.6 Elevated +13.2
Prentiss County, MS 60.5 Elevated +10.0
Franklin County, AL 59.1 Elevated +8.6
Tishomingo County, MS 58.1 Elevated +7.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Itawamba County
Macon County, NC 50.5 Elevated +0.0
Howard County, MO 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Pamlico County, NC 50.5 Elevated +0.1
Pontotoc County, OK 50.5 Elevated +0.1
Taos County, NM 50.6 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Itawamba 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 Itawamba 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 Itawamba County, Mississippi?

    Itawamba County has a County Distress Index score of 50.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,547th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 82nd in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Itawamba County?

    The primary driver of distress in Itawamba County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 93.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Itawamba County compare to neighboring counties?

    Itawamba County (50.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lee County, MS (66.9); Monroe County, MS (65.4); Marion County, AL (63.6).

  • 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). Itawamba County's score of 50.5 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Itawamba 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 Itawamba County?

    Itawamba County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 24,093 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.