Webster Parish, Louisiana
Above the national median for subprime credit share.
Main Findings
Webster Parish, Louisiana ranks 62nd most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 38% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
- 62nd of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 84.4 · very high county distress, 9th in Louisiana.
- 38% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 92nd percentile nationally. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 343 — national median 126, ranked at the 94th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Unemployment at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 87th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Severe rent burden (50%+) at 30% — national median 18%, ranked at the 98th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 22-point drop to Bossier Parish marks where the Louisiana distress corridor ends.
Webster Parish has a very high county distress score. The domain table shows which local pressure carries the composite.
The CDI gives this county a very high county distress label. The five-domain profile shows which local pressures carry the score. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 29% of children under 18 in Webster Parish live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Webster Parish's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Webster Parish's value shown alongside LA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Webster Parish | LA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 92 · Rank 149 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 10% | 8% | 5% | 92nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 8% | 5% | 92nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 38% | 35% | 23% | 92nd | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 91 · Rank 130 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 36% | 34% | 23% | 88th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 343 | 225 | 126 | 94th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 77 · Rank 495 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 22% | 22% | 21% | 56th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 30% | 21% | 18% | 98th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 87 · Rank 378 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 5% | 4% | 87th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 75 · Rank 611 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 29% | 28% | 18% | 88th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 18% | 17% | 16% | 65th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 20% | 20% | 14% | 87th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 7% | 8% | 8% | 41st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Webster Parish data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 132-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
MINDEN, La. — Webster Parish ranks 62nd among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 84.4 out of 100 gives Webster Parish a very high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 61 counties rank more distressed. Within Louisiana, Webster Parish ranks ninth of 64 parishes.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies delinquency as the primary driver in Webster Parish. 38% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Webster Parish's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Webster Parish's distress score?
How does Webster Parish compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Webster Parish resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →