Montgomery County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 79.3 | 9,600 people · 14th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

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Montgomery County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 79.3 — 77th 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 14th of 82 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Montgomery County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 95.0 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 95.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Consumer Credit Distress 87.0
Debt in Collections 77
Medical Debt 90
Auto Loan Delinquency 88
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Uninsured Rate 70
Subprime Credit Population 95
Structural Poverty 75.8
Unemployment Rate 45
Poverty Rate 90
Income vs. State Median 64
Child Poverty Rate 94
Disability Rate 60
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Housing Cost Burden 71.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 70
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 10
Homeownership Rate 61
Economic Vitality 50.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 43
Rent-to-Income Ratio 56
Business Formation Rate 41
House Price Change (YoY) 93

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Montgomery County
Montgomery County, MS 79.3 Serious —
Attala County, MS 74.2 Serious -5.0
Grenada County, MS 74.1 Serious -5.2
Webster County, MS 61.6 Elevated -17.7
Choctaw County, MS 59.7 Elevated -19.6
Carroll County, MS 58.4 Elevated -20.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Montgomery County
Sharkey County, MS 79.7 Serious +0.4
Humphreys County, MS 79.7 Serious +0.5
Catahoula Parish, LA 78.7 Serious -0.5
Fulton County, KY 79.9 Serious +0.6
Taylor County, GA 80.0 Crisis +0.7

Download Data

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

Find Help in Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, Mississippi?

    Montgomery County has a County Distress Index score of 79.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 77th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 14th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Montgomery County?

    The primary driver of distress in Montgomery County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Montgomery County compare to neighboring counties?

    Montgomery County (79.3) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Attala County, MS (74.2); Grenada County, MS (74.1); Webster County, MS (61.6).

  • 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 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). Montgomery County's score of 79.3 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Montgomery 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 Montgomery County?

    Montgomery County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 9,600 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.