Jones County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.8 | 66,250 people · 37th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

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Jones County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.8 — 352nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Mississippi, it ranks 37th of 82 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Jones County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 80.5 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 80.5
Debt in Collections 72
Medical Debt 41
Auto Loan Delinquency 99
Credit Card Delinquency 93
Uninsured Rate 80
Subprime Credit Population 90
Legal Distress 70.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 71
Housing Cost Burden 70.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 79
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 87
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 16
Homeownership Rate 53
Structural Poverty 58.2
Unemployment Rate 4
Poverty Rate 82
Income vs. State Median 43
Child Poverty Rate 80
Disability Rate 58
Transfer Income Dependency 74
Economic Vitality 39.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 32
Rent-to-Income Ratio 57
Business Formation Rate 24
House Price Change (YoY) 49

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Jones County
Jones County, MS 70.8 Serious —
Wayne County, MS 75.9 Serious +5.1
Forrest County, MS 74.6 Serious +3.8
Jasper County, MS 66.5 Serious -4.2
Perry County, MS 62.0 Elevated -8.8
Covington County, MS 60.7 Elevated -10.1
Smith County, MS 53.5 Elevated -17.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Jones County
Gaston County, NC 70.7 Serious -0.1
Pike County, KY 70.6 Serious -0.2
Columbia County, FL 71.0 Serious +0.2
Polk County, TX 70.6 Serious -0.2
Lamar County, TX 71.1 Serious +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jones 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 Jones 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 Jones County, Mississippi?

    Jones County has a County Distress Index score of 70.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 352nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 37th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jones County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jones County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 80.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Jones County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jones County (70.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Wayne County, MS (75.9); Forrest County, MS (74.6); Jasper County, MS (66.5).

  • 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). Jones County's score of 70.8 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Jones 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 Jones County?

    Jones County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 66,250 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.