St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.3 | 44,463 people · 13th most distressed in Louisiana
American Default Research

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St. Bernard Parish, LA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.3 — 299th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Louisiana, it ranks 13th of 64 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. St. Bernard Parish's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 85.9 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 85.9
Debt in Collections 93
Medical Debt 67
Student Loan Delinquency 92
Auto Loan Delinquency 92
Credit Card Delinquency 97
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 74
Housing Cost Burden 77.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 93
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 35
Homeownership Rate 70
Rent-to-Income Ratio 96
Income & Poverty 71.3
Poverty Rate 78
Income vs. State Median 55
Child Poverty Rate 81
Community Vulnerability 61.6
Uninsured Rate 50
Disability Rate 73
Employment & Wages 44.7
Unemployment Rate 64
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 57
Business Formation Rate 13

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How St. Bernard Parish compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. St. Bernard Parish
St. Bernard Parish, LA 68.3 Serious —
Orleans Parish, LA 66.6 Serious -1.6
Harrison County, MS 64.5 Elevated -3.8
Hancock County, MS 49.6 Normal -18.7
St. Tammany Parish, LA 48.5 Normal -19.7
Plaquemines Parish, LA 45.6 Normal -22.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. St. Bernard Parish
Meigs County, OH 68.3 Serious +0.0
Houston County, TX 68.3 Serious +0.0
Chesterfield County, SC 68.3 Serious +0.1
Polk County, GA 68.2 Serious -0.1
Mingo County, WV 68.3 Serious +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for St. Bernard Parish as a CSV file.

Find Help in St. Bernard Parish

Find an Attorney

Louisiana State Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Louisiana State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 1-800-421-5722

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving St. Bernard Parish residents at no cost.

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services 504-529-1000
Acadiana Legal Service Corporation 1-800-256-1175
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation (504) 529-1000

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 St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana?

    St. Bernard Parish has a County Distress Index score of 68.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 299th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 13th in Louisiana out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in St. Bernard Parish?

    The primary driver of distress in St. Bernard Parish is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 85.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does St. Bernard Parish compare to neighboring counties?

    St. Bernard Parish (68.3) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Orleans Parish, LA (66.6); Harrison County, MS (64.5); Hancock County, MS (49.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. 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.

  • What is the population of St. Bernard Parish?

    St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana has a population of approximately 44,463 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.