Stone County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 65.3 | 18,756 people · 56th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

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Stone County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 65.3 — 628th 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 56th of 82 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Stone County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 78.0 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 78.0
Debt in Collections 71
Medical Debt 51
Auto Loan Delinquency 83
Credit Card Delinquency 89
Uninsured Rate 78
Subprime Credit Population 90
Legal Distress 64.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 65
Structural Poverty 59.9
Unemployment Rate 34
Poverty Rate 65
Income vs. State Median 21
Child Poverty Rate 70
Disability Rate 86
Transfer Income Dependency 85
Economic Vitality 55.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 67
Rent-to-Income Ratio 45
Business Formation Rate 27
House Price Change (YoY) 81
Housing Cost Burden 45.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 50
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 6
Homeownership Rate 19

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Stone County
Stone County, MS 65.3 Serious —
Forrest County, MS 74.6 Serious +9.3
Harrison County, MS 73.8 Serious +8.5
Pearl River County, MS 65.6 Serious +0.3
Jackson County, MS 64.6 Elevated -0.7
Perry County, MS 62.0 Elevated -3.3
George County, MS 56.4 Elevated -8.9
Hancock County, MS 55.5 Elevated -9.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Stone County
Haskell County, OK 65.3 Serious 0.0
Putnam County, GA 65.3 Serious +0.0
Monroe County, AL 65.3 Serious +0.0
Radford city, VA 65.2 Serious -0.1
Fredericksburg city, VA 65.2 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Stone 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 Stone 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 Stone County, Mississippi?

    Stone County has a County Distress Index score of 65.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 628th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 56th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Stone County?

    The primary driver of distress in Stone County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 78.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Stone County compare to neighboring counties?

    Stone County (65.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Forrest County, MS (74.6); Harrison County, MS (73.8); Pearl River County, MS (65.6).

  • 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). Stone County's score of 65.3 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Stone 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 Stone County?

    Stone County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 18,756 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.