Mississippi County, Missouri

County Distress Index: Crisis · 82.0 | 11,822 people · 2nd most distressed in Missouri
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Mississippi County, MO ranks among the most financially distressed counties in America with a score of 82.0 — 43rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Missouri, it ranks 2nd of 115 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Mississippi County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 88.4 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 88.4
Unemployment Rate 83
Poverty Rate 87
Income vs. State Median 83
Child Poverty Rate 87
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 94
Consumer Credit Distress 84.8
Debt in Collections 94
Medical Debt 90
Auto Loan Delinquency 89
Credit Card Delinquency 68
Uninsured Rate 72
Subprime Credit Population 87
Legal Distress 84.5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 84
Housing Cost Burden 83.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 86
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 22
Homeownership Rate 92
Economic Vitality 52.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 53
Rent-to-Income Ratio 59
Business Formation Rate 53
House Price Change (YoY) 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Mississippi County
Mississippi County, MO 82.0 Crisis —
Fulton County, KY 79.9 Serious -2.1
New Madrid County, MO 70.1 Serious -11.9
Scott County, MO 67.0 Serious -14.9
Alexander County, IL 57.6 Elevated -24.3
Carlisle County, KY 52.3 Elevated -29.7
Hickman County, KY 46.8 Normal -35.1
Ballard County, KY 40.1 Normal -41.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Mississippi County
Morehouse Parish, LA 82.1 Crisis +0.1
Halifax County, NC 81.7 Crisis -0.3
Vance County, NC 82.3 Crisis +0.3
McDuffie County, GA 81.5 Crisis -0.4
Charlton County, GA 82.5 Crisis +0.6

Download Data

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

Find Help in Mississippi County

Find an Attorney

Missouri Bar — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Missouri Bar — Lawyer Referral Service 573-635-4128

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Mississippi County residents at no cost.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri 314-534-4200 (St. Louis); 1-800-444-0514 (statewide hotline)
Legal Aid of Western Missouri 816-474-6750 (Kansas City); 1-800-748-2057 (statewide hotline)
Central Missouri Legal Services 573-442-0116
The Legal Aid and Defender Association (LAD) 816-474-6750
Legal Services of Southern Missouri (417) 881-1397
Mid-Missouri Legal Services Corporation (573) 442-0116

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Mississippi County has a County Distress Index score of 82.0 out of 100, placing it in the Crisis zone. It ranks 43rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in Missouri out of 115 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Mississippi County?

    The primary driver of distress in Mississippi County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 88.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Mississippi County compare to neighboring counties?

    Mississippi County (82.0) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Fulton County, KY (79.9); New Madrid County, MO (70.1); Scott County, MO (67.0).

  • 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). Mississippi County's score of 82.0 sits in the Crisis zone (86 and above).

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

    Mississippi 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 Mississippi County?

    Mississippi County, Missouri has a population of approximately 11,822 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.