Leake County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 71.5 | 21,258 people · 36th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Leake County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 71.5 — 332nd 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 36th 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. Leake County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 92.9 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 92.9
Debt in Collections 90
Medical Debt 88
Auto Loan Delinquency 96
Credit Card Delinquency 99
Uninsured Rate 91
Subprime Credit Population 93
Legal Distress 87.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 88
Economic Vitality 67.6
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 76
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74
Business Formation Rate 20
House Price Change (YoY) 97
Structural Poverty 67.4
Unemployment Rate 10
Poverty Rate 88
Income vs. State Median 56
Child Poverty Rate 90
Disability Rate 78
Transfer Income Dependency 76
Housing Cost Burden 24.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 22
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 20
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 24
Homeownership Rate 42

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Leake County
Leake County, MS 71.5 Serious —
Attala County, MS 74.2 Serious +2.7
Winston County, MS 74.1 Serious +2.6
Neshoba County, MS 70.8 Serious -0.8
Scott County, MS 66.6 Serious -4.9
Newton County, MS 64.0 Elevated -7.5
Madison County, MS 55.3 Elevated -16.2

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Leake County
Ottawa County, OK 71.5 Serious -0.0
Union County, SC 71.4 Serious -0.1
Bleckley County, GA 71.6 Serious +0.1
Sussex County, VA 71.4 Serious -0.1
Howard County, AR 71.6 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Leake County

Find an Attorney

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 Leake County residents at no cost.

Mississippi Center for Legal Services 1-800-498-1804
North Mississippi Rural Legal Services 1-800-898-8731

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Mississippi →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Leake County, Mississippi?

    Leake County has a County Distress Index score of 71.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 332nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 36th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Leake County?

    The primary driver of distress in Leake County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 92.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Leake County compare to neighboring counties?

    Leake County (71.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Attala County, MS (74.2); Winston County, MS (74.1); Neshoba County, MS (70.8).

  • 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). Leake County's score of 71.5 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Leake 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 Leake County?

    Leake County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 21,258 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.