Lowndes County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.3 | 57,283 people · 45th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

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Lowndes County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.3 — 528th 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 45th of 82 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Lowndes County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 98.8 — worse than roughly 99% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 98.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 99
Consumer Credit Distress 80.1
Debt in Collections 74
Medical Debt 72
Auto Loan Delinquency 83
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Uninsured Rate 70
Subprime Credit Population 89
Housing Cost Burden 62.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 59
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 60
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 40
Homeownership Rate 90
Structural Poverty 48.3
Unemployment Rate 30
Poverty Rate 85
Income vs. State Median 28
Child Poverty Rate 84
Disability Rate 20
Transfer Income Dependency 49
Economic Vitality 16.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 4
Rent-to-Income Ratio 33
Business Formation Rate 12
House Price Change (YoY) 38

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Lowndes County
Lowndes County, MS 67.3 Serious —
Noxubee County, MS 83.5 Crisis +16.1
Oktibbeha County, MS 74.6 Serious +7.3
Clay County, MS 73.3 Serious +5.9
Pickens County, AL 69.6 Serious +2.3
Monroe County, MS 65.4 Serious -2.0
Lamar County, AL 60.5 Elevated -6.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Lowndes County
Laurel County, KY 67.3 Serious 0.0
Bartow County, GA 67.4 Serious +0.0
Dorchester County, SC 67.4 Serious +0.0
Glynn County, GA 67.2 Serious -0.2
DeSoto County, MS 67.1 Serious -0.2

Download Data

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

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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 Lowndes 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 Lowndes County, Mississippi?

    Lowndes County has a County Distress Index score of 67.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 528th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 45th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lowndes County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lowndes County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 98.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Lowndes County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lowndes County (67.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Noxubee County, MS (83.5); Oktibbeha County, MS (74.6); Clay County, MS (73.3).

  • 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). Lowndes County's score of 67.3 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Lowndes 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 Lowndes County?

    Lowndes County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 57,283 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.