Sunflower County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 78.7 | 24,468 people · 16th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Sunflower County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 78.7 — 90th 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 16th of 82 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Sunflower County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 91.4 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 91.4
Debt in Collections 97
Medical Debt 64
Auto Loan Delinquency 99
Credit Card Delinquency 97
Uninsured Rate 74
Subprime Credit Population 99
Legal Distress 86.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 87
Structural Poverty 78.8
Unemployment Rate 58
Poverty Rate 99
Income vs. State Median 74
Child Poverty Rate 99
Disability Rate 43
Transfer Income Dependency 93
Housing Cost Burden 60.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 75
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 47
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 6
Homeownership Rate 96
Economic Vitality 49.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 47
Rent-to-Income Ratio 67
Business Formation Rate 14
House Price Change (YoY) 82

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Sunflower County
Sunflower County, MS 78.7 Serious —
Washington County, MS 86.1 Crisis +7.4
Coahoma County, MS 85.7 Crisis +7.0
Bolivar County, MS 84.7 Crisis +6.0
Leflore County, MS 84.7 Crisis +6.0
Humphreys County, MS 79.7 Serious +1.0
Tallahatchie County, MS 71.6 Serious -7.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Sunflower County
Lanier County, GA 78.7 Serious -0.0
Decatur County, GA 78.7 Serious +0.0
Hardee County, FL 78.6 Serious -0.1
Kleberg County, TX 78.6 Serious -0.1
Panola County, MS 79.0 Serious +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sunflower County

Find an Attorney

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 Sunflower County residents at no cost.

Mississippi Center for Legal Services 1-800-498-1804
North Mississippi Rural Legal Services 1-800-898-8731

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Mississippi →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Sunflower County, Mississippi?

    Sunflower County has a County Distress Index score of 78.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 90th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 16th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sunflower County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sunflower County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 91.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Sunflower County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sunflower County (78.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Washington County, MS (86.1); Coahoma County, MS (85.7); Bolivar County, MS (84.7).

  • 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). Sunflower County's score of 78.7 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Sunflower 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 Sunflower County?

    Sunflower County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 24,468 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.