Vernon Parish, Louisiana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.6 | 46,250 people · 28th most distressed in Louisiana
American Default Research

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Vernon Parish, LA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.6 — 585th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Louisiana, it ranks 28th of 64 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Vernon Parish's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 72.5 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 72.5
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 55
Business Formation Rate 76
Community Vulnerability 68.5
Uninsured Rate 47
Disability Rate 90
Debt & Delinquency 68.5
Debt in Collections 83
Medical Debt 83
Student Loan Delinquency 44
Auto Loan Delinquency 50
Credit Card Delinquency 76
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 75
Income & Poverty 58.1
Poverty Rate 71
Income vs. State Median 37
Child Poverty Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 50.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 43
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 32
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 20
Homeownership Rate 96
Rent-to-Income Ratio 62

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Vernon Parish compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Vernon Parish
Vernon Parish, LA 63.6 Elevated —
Natchitoches Parish, LA 68.8 Serious +5.2
Rapides Parish, LA 66.4 Serious +2.8
Allen Parish, LA 66.2 Serious +2.5
Newton County, TX 65.8 Serious +2.2
Sabine Parish, LA 58.7 Elevated -4.9
Beauregard Parish, LA 51.4 Elevated -12.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Vernon Parish
Curry County, NM 63.6 Elevated 0.0
Fayette County, WV 63.6 Elevated 0.0
Caldwell County, TX 63.6 Elevated -0.0
Scott County, VA 63.6 Elevated +0.0
Clay County, AR 63.7 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Vernon Parish as a CSV file.

Find Help in Vernon 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 Vernon 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 Vernon Parish, Louisiana?

    Vernon Parish has a County Distress Index score of 63.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 585th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 28th in Louisiana out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Vernon Parish?

    The primary driver of distress in Vernon Parish is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 72.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Vernon Parish compare to neighboring counties?

    Vernon Parish (63.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Natchitoches Parish, LA (68.8); Rapides Parish, LA (66.4); Allen Parish, LA (66.2).

  • 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 Vernon Parish?

    Vernon Parish, Louisiana has a population of approximately 46,250 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.