Newton County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.0 | 21,019 people · 60th most distressed in Mississippi
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Newton County, MS registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.0 — 709th 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 60th of 82 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 7 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Newton County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 86.2 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 86.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 86
Consumer Credit Distress 82.8
Debt in Collections 76
Medical Debt 50
Auto Loan Delinquency 92
Credit Card Delinquency 97
Uninsured Rate 83
Subprime Credit Population 93
Structural Poverty 66.3
Unemployment Rate 23
Poverty Rate 79
Income vs. State Median 48
Child Poverty Rate 78
Disability Rate 88
Transfer Income Dependency 80
Economic Vitality 48.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 45
Rent-to-Income Ratio 45
Business Formation Rate 39
House Price Change (YoY) 99
Housing Cost Burden 21.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 12
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 33
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 9
Homeownership Rate 24

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Newton County
Newton County, MS 64.0 Elevated —
Lauderdale County, MS 76.5 Serious +12.5
Leake County, MS 71.5 Serious +7.5
Neshoba County, MS 70.8 Serious +6.8
Clarke County, MS 70.1 Serious +6.1
Kemper County, MS 68.3 Serious +4.3
Scott County, MS 66.6 Serious +2.6
Jasper County, MS 66.5 Serious +2.6
Smith County, MS 53.5 Elevated -10.5

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Newton County
Henry County, KY 64.0 Elevated +0.0
Sabine Parish, LA 63.9 Elevated -0.0
Levy County, FL 63.9 Elevated -0.1
Jeff Davis County, GA 63.9 Elevated -0.1
Caroline County, MD 64.1 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Newton 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 Newton 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 Newton County, Mississippi?

    Newton County has a County Distress Index score of 64.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 709th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 60th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Newton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Newton County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 86.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Newton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Newton County (64.0) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Lauderdale County, MS (76.5); Leake County, MS (71.5); 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 Elevated 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). Newton County's score of 64.0 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Newton 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 Newton County?

    Newton County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 21,019 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.