Leflore County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Crisis · 84.7 | 26,378 people · 6th most distressed in Mississippi
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Leflore County, MS ranks among the most financially distressed counties in America with a score of 84.7 — 21st 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 6th of 82 counties. It scores higher 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. Leflore County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 95.8 — worse than roughly 96% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 95.8
Debt in Collections 99
Medical Debt 85
Auto Loan Delinquency 99
Credit Card Delinquency 99
Uninsured Rate 85
Subprime Credit Population 99
Legal Distress 86.3
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 86
Structural Poverty 86.1
Unemployment Rate 83
Poverty Rate 99
Income vs. State Median 99
Child Poverty Rate 99
Disability Rate 52
Transfer Income Dependency 81
Housing Cost Burden 75.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 71
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 76
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 53
Homeownership Rate 97
Economic Vitality 47.7
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 33
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 18
House Price Change (YoY) 37

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Leflore County
Leflore County, MS 84.7 Crisis —
Holmes County, MS 82.7 Crisis -2.0
Humphreys County, MS 79.7 Serious -5.0
Sunflower County, MS 78.7 Serious -6.0
Grenada County, MS 74.1 Serious -10.6
Tallahatchie County, MS 71.6 Serious -13.1
Carroll County, MS 58.4 Elevated -26.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Leflore County
Bolivar County, MS 84.7 Crisis 0.0
Yazoo County, MS 84.8 Crisis +0.1
Dallas County, AL 84.6 Crisis -0.1
Gadsden County, FL 84.5 Crisis -0.2
Baldwin County, GA 85.4 Crisis +0.7

Download Data

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

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Legal aid organizations serving Leflore 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 Leflore County, Mississippi?

    Leflore County has a County Distress Index score of 84.7 out of 100, placing it in the Crisis zone. It ranks 21st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Leflore County?

    The primary driver of distress in Leflore County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 95.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Leflore County compare to neighboring counties?

    Leflore County (84.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Holmes County, MS (82.7); Humphreys County, MS (79.7); Sunflower County, MS (78.7).

  • 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 Crisis 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). Leflore County's score of 84.7 sits in the Crisis zone (86 and above).

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

    Leflore 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 Leflore County?

    Leflore County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 26,378 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.