Scott County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.6 | 27,507 people · 50th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

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Scott County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.6 — 574th 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 50th of 82 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Scott County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 92.2 — worse than roughly 92% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 92.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 92
Consumer Credit Distress 84.8
Debt in Collections 84
Medical Debt 84
Auto Loan Delinquency 86
Credit Card Delinquency 74
Uninsured Rate 77
Subprime Credit Population 97
Structural Poverty 66.1
Unemployment Rate 13
Poverty Rate 89
Income vs. State Median 55
Child Poverty Rate 87
Disability Rate 68
Transfer Income Dependency 77
Economic Vitality 52.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 54
Rent-to-Income Ratio 72
Business Formation Rate 43
House Price Change (YoY) 4
Housing Cost Burden 25.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 9
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 23
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 35
Homeownership Rate 63

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Scott County
Scott County, MS 66.6 Serious —
Leake County, MS 71.5 Serious +4.9
Jasper County, MS 66.5 Serious -0.1
Newton County, MS 64.0 Elevated -2.6
Rankin County, MS 63.7 Elevated -2.9
Madison County, MS 55.3 Elevated -11.3
Smith County, MS 53.5 Elevated -13.2

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Scott County
Prince Edward County, VA 66.7 Serious +0.0
Westmoreland County, VA 66.7 Serious +0.0
Jasper County, MS 66.5 Serious -0.1
Wilbarger County, TX 66.7 Serious +0.1
Halifax County, VA 66.5 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Scott 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 Scott 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 Scott County, Mississippi?

    Scott County has a County Distress Index score of 66.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 574th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 50th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Scott County?

    The primary driver of distress in Scott County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 92.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Scott County compare to neighboring counties?

    Scott County (66.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Leake County, MS (71.5); Jasper County, MS (66.5); Newton County, MS (64.0).

  • 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). Scott County's score of 66.6 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Scott 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 Scott County?

    Scott County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 27,507 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.