Bolivar County, Mississippi
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Bolivar County. Population: 28,968 (small).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Bolivar County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 76.5 — 38th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Mississippi, it ranks 7th of 82 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Bolivar County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Income & Poverty
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Housing Cost Burden
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
How Bolivar County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolivar County, MS | 76.5 | Serious Stress | — |
| Phillips County, AR | 79.2 | Serious Stress | +2.7 |
| Washington County, MS | 78.1 | Serious Stress | +1.6 |
| Coahoma County, MS | 74.9 | Serious Stress | -1.7 |
| Chicot County, AR | 72.6 | Serious Stress | -3.9 |
| Desha County, AR | 70.8 | Serious Stress | -5.7 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (small) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi County, MO | 76.6 | Serious Stress | +0.1 |
| Lauderdale County, TN | 76.4 | Serious Stress | -0.1 |
| Seminole County, OK | 76.8 | Serious Stress | +0.2 |
| McIntosh County, OK | 76.8 | Serious Stress | +0.2 |
| Scotland County, NC | 76.8 | Serious Stress | +0.3 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Bolivar County as a CSV file.
Resources
Bolivar County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Bolivar County, Mississippi?
Bolivar County has a County Distress Index score of 76.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 38th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 7th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.
What drives financial distress in Bolivar County?
The primary driver of distress in Bolivar County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 96.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Bolivar County compare to neighboring counties?
Bolivar County (76.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Phillips County, AR (79.2); Washington County, MS (78.1); Coahoma County, MS (74.9).
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 Bolivar County?
Bolivar County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 28,968 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.