St. Mary Parish, Louisiana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 62.0 | 47,055 people · 33rd most distressed in Louisiana
American Default Research

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St. Mary Parish, LA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 62.0 — 689th 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 33rd of 64 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. St. Mary 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 91
Student Loan Delinquency 93
Auto Loan Delinquency 90
Credit Card Delinquency 90
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 59
Income & Poverty 80.5
Poverty Rate 90
Income vs. State Median 59
Child Poverty Rate 92
Housing Cost Burden 54.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 70
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 61
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 10
Homeownership Rate 71
Rent-to-Income Ratio 60
Community Vulnerability 45.8
Uninsured Rate 38
Disability Rate 53
Employment & Wages 43.3
Unemployment Rate 74
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 4
Business Formation Rate 52

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

Neighbors and Peers

How St. Mary Parish compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. St. Mary Parish
St. Mary Parish, LA 62.0 Elevated —
Iberia Parish, LA 62.3 Elevated +0.3
Assumption Parish, LA 60.0 Elevated -2.0
St. Martin Parish, LA 58.6 Elevated -3.4
Terrebonne Parish, LA 54.0 Elevated -8.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. St. Mary Parish
Yalobusha County, MS 62.0 Elevated 0.0
Westmoreland County, VA 62.0 Elevated +0.0
Beckham County, OK 62.0 Elevated +0.0
Peach County, GA 61.9 Elevated -0.1
Pawnee County, OK 61.9 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in St. Mary Parish

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near St. Mary Parish.

SAINT MARY COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY, INC.
Franklin
337-828-5703 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHomeless/DisplacementPre-Purchase

See all counselors in Louisiana →

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. Mary 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.

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for St. Mary Parish, Louisiana?

    St. Mary Parish has a County Distress Index score of 62.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 689th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 33rd in Louisiana out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in St. Mary Parish?

    The primary driver of distress in St. Mary 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. Mary Parish compare to neighboring counties?

    St. Mary Parish (62.0) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Iberia Parish, LA (62.3); Assumption Parish, LA (60.0); St. Martin Parish, LA (58.6).

  • 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. Mary Parish?

    St. Mary Parish, Louisiana has a population of approximately 47,055 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.