Winston County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Serious · 74.1 | 17,416 people · 29th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

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Winston County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 74.1 — 225th 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 29th 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. Winston County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 95.0 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 95.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Consumer Credit Distress 88.8
Debt in Collections 87
Medical Debt 84
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 94
Uninsured Rate 75
Subprime Credit Population 89
Structural Poverty 75.4
Unemployment Rate 41
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 49
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 94
Transfer Income Dependency 82
Housing Cost Burden 53.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 42
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 67
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 17
Homeownership Rate 72
Economic Vitality 29.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 11
Rent-to-Income Ratio 46
Business Formation Rate 20
House Price Change (YoY) 95

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Winston County
Winston County, MS 74.1 Serious —
Noxubee County, MS 83.5 Crisis +9.4
Oktibbeha County, MS 74.6 Serious +0.6
Attala County, MS 74.2 Serious +0.2
Leake County, MS 71.5 Serious -2.6
Neshoba County, MS 70.8 Serious -3.3
Kemper County, MS 68.3 Serious -5.8
Choctaw County, MS 59.7 Elevated -14.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Winston County
Grenada County, MS 74.1 Serious +0.0
Marlboro County, SC 74.1 Serious +0.0
Trinity County, TX 74.0 Serious -0.1
Greene County, AR 74.1 Serious +0.1
Copiah County, MS 74.2 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Winston 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 Winston 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 Winston County, Mississippi?

    Winston County has a County Distress Index score of 74.1 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 225th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Winston County?

    The primary driver of distress in Winston County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Winston County compare to neighboring counties?

    Winston County (74.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Noxubee County, MS (83.5); Oktibbeha County, MS (74.6); Attala County, MS (74.2).

  • 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). Winston County's score of 74.1 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Winston 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 Winston County?

    Winston County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 17,416 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.