Wilkinson County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Crisis · 81.5 | 8,058 people · 10th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

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Wilkinson County, MS ranks among the most financially distressed counties in America with a score of 81.5 — 48th 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 10th of 82 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Wilkinson County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 93.3 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 93.3
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 88
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Uninsured Rate 87
Subprime Credit Population 95
Structural Poverty 90.4
Unemployment Rate 72
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 83
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Legal Distress 74.4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 74
Housing Cost Burden 61.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 89
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 45
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 79
Homeownership Rate 24
Economic Vitality 61.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 52
Rent-to-Income Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 43
House Price Change (YoY) 52

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Wilkinson County
Wilkinson County, MS 81.5 Crisis —
Concordia Parish, LA 80.3 Crisis -1.2
Adams County, MS 76.9 Serious -4.6
Amite County, MS 65.7 Serious -15.7
Franklin County, MS 63.2 Elevated -18.2
West Feliciana Parish, LA 57.5 Elevated -24.0
East Feliciana Parish, LA 49.3 Normal -32.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Wilkinson County
Bullock County, AL 82.5 Crisis +1.0
Taylor County, GA 80.0 Crisis -1.4
East Carroll Parish, LA 82.9 Crisis +1.5
Fulton County, KY 79.9 Serious -1.6
Humphreys County, MS 79.7 Serious -1.7

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wilkinson 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 Wilkinson 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 Wilkinson County, Mississippi?

    Wilkinson County has a County Distress Index score of 81.5 out of 100, placing it in the Crisis zone. It ranks 48th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wilkinson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wilkinson County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 93.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Wilkinson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wilkinson County (81.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Concordia Parish, LA (80.3); Adams County, MS (76.9); Amite County, MS (65.7).

  • 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 Crisis 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). Wilkinson County's score of 81.5 sits in the Crisis zone (86 and above).

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

    Wilkinson 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 Wilkinson County?

    Wilkinson County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 8,058 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.