Prentiss County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.5 | 25,135 people · 71st most distressed in Mississippi
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Prentiss County, MS registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.5 — 919th 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 71st of 82 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Prentiss County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 95.8 — worse than roughly 96% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 95.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 96
Consumer Credit Distress 76.5
Debt in Collections 61
Medical Debt 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 85
Credit Card Delinquency 97
Uninsured Rate 54
Subprime Credit Population 82
Structural Poverty 60.5
Unemployment Rate 13
Poverty Rate 77
Income vs. State Median 43
Child Poverty Rate 76
Disability Rate 65
Transfer Income Dependency 81
Economic Vitality 42.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 43
Rent-to-Income Ratio 40
Business Formation Rate 61
House Price Change (YoY) 6
Housing Cost Burden 22.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 18
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 24
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 26
Homeownership Rate 24

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Prentiss County
Prentiss County, MS 60.5 Elevated —
Lee County, MS 66.9 Serious +6.4
Alcorn County, MS 66.3 Serious +5.9
Tippah County, MS 63.7 Elevated +3.2
Union County, MS 60.1 Elevated -0.4
Tishomingo County, MS 58.1 Elevated -2.4
Itawamba County, MS 50.5 Elevated -10.0

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Prentiss County
Hancock County, WV 60.5 Elevated 0.0
Harrison County, KY 60.5 Elevated -0.0
Lamar County, AL 60.5 Elevated +0.0
Wyoming County, WV 60.5 Elevated +0.0
Montgomery County, KS 60.5 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Prentiss 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 Prentiss 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 Prentiss County, Mississippi?

    Prentiss County has a County Distress Index score of 60.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 919th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 71st in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Prentiss County?

    The primary driver of distress in Prentiss County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 95.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Prentiss County compare to neighboring counties?

    Prentiss County (60.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lee County, MS (66.9); Alcorn County, MS (66.3); Tippah County, MS (63.7).

  • 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 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). Prentiss County's score of 60.5 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Prentiss 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 Prentiss County?

    Prentiss County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 25,135 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.