Pearl River County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 65.6 | 57,978 people · 54th most distressed in Mississippi
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Pearl River County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 65.6 — 613th 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 54th of 82 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Pearl River County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 72.3 — above the national median.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 72.3
Debt in Collections 67
Medical Debt 45
Auto Loan Delinquency 80
Credit Card Delinquency 75
Uninsured Rate 82
Subprime Credit Population 83
Legal Distress 62.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 62
Housing Cost Burden 60.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 61
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 82
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 65
Homeownership Rate 8
Structural Poverty 58.0
Unemployment Rate 19
Poverty Rate 82
Income vs. State Median 27
Child Poverty Rate 75
Disability Rate 85
Transfer Income Dependency 66
Economic Vitality 56.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 69
Rent-to-Income Ratio 49
Business Formation Rate 19
House Price Change (YoY) 84

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Pearl River County
Pearl River County, MS 65.6 Serious —
Washington Parish, LA 75.0 Serious +9.5
Forrest County, MS 74.6 Serious +9.0
Harrison County, MS 73.8 Serious +8.2
Stone County, MS 65.3 Serious -0.3
Marion County, MS 62.5 Elevated -3.1
St. Tammany Parish, LA 59.3 Elevated -6.3
Lamar County, MS 57.5 Elevated -8.1
Hancock County, MS 55.5 Elevated -10.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Pearl River County
Yuba County, CA 65.5 Serious -0.1
Grant County, IN 65.7 Serious +0.1
Howard County, IN 65.8 Serious +0.2
Madison County, IN 65.3 Serious -0.2
Mahoning County, OH 65.8 Serious +0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Pearl River County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Pearl River 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 Pearl River 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 Pearl River County, Mississippi?

    Pearl River County has a County Distress Index score of 65.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 613th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 54th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pearl River County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pearl River County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 72.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Pearl River County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pearl River County (65.6) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Washington Parish, LA (75.0); Forrest County, MS (74.6); Harrison County, MS (73.8).

  • 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). Pearl River County's score of 65.6 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

  • What data sources power Pearl River County's CDI score?

    Pearl River 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 Pearl River County?

    Pearl River County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 57,978 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.