Sharkey County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 79.7 | 3,336 people · 12th most distressed in Mississippi
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Sharkey County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 79.7 — 69th 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 12th of 82 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Sharkey County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 94.0 — worse than roughly 94% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 94.0
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 93
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Uninsured Rate 86
Subprime Credit Population 95
Structural Poverty 85.7
Unemployment Rate 78
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 46
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Legal Distress 77.1
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 77
Economic Vitality 62.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 60
Rent-to-Income Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 32
House Price Change (YoY) 52
Housing Cost Burden 53.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 33
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 47
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 95
Homeownership Rate 89

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Sharkey County
Sharkey County, MS 79.7 Serious —
Washington County, MS 86.1 Crisis +6.4
Yazoo County, MS 84.8 Crisis +5.1
Humphreys County, MS 79.7 Serious +0.0
Issaquena County, MS 63.8 Elevated -15.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Sharkey County
Humphreys County, MS 79.7 Serious +0.0
Fulton County, KY 79.9 Serious +0.2
Taylor County, GA 80.0 Crisis +0.3
Montgomery County, MS 79.3 Serious -0.4
Catahoula Parish, LA 78.7 Serious -1.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sharkey 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 Sharkey 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 Sharkey County, Mississippi?

    Sharkey County has a County Distress Index score of 79.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 69th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 12th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sharkey County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sharkey County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 94.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Sharkey County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sharkey County (79.7) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Washington County, MS (86.1); Yazoo County, MS (84.8); Humphreys County, MS (79.7).

  • 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 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). Sharkey County's score of 79.7 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Sharkey 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 Sharkey County?

    Sharkey County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 3,336 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.