DeSoto County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.9 | 193,247 people · 79th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

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DeSoto County, MS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.9 — 1996th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Mississippi, it ranks 79th of 82 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. DeSoto County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 83.7 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 83.7
Debt in Collections 73
Medical Debt 72
Student Loan Delinquency 76
Auto Loan Delinquency 91
Credit Card Delinquency 92
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 98
Housing Cost Burden 53.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 70
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 70
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 74
Homeownership Rate 30
Rent-to-Income Ratio 25
Employment & Wages 39.3
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 10
Community Vulnerability 35.6
Uninsured Rate 52
Disability Rate 19
Income & Poverty 12.3
Poverty Rate 14
Income vs. State Median 2
Child Poverty Rate 21

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

Neighbors and Peers

How DeSoto County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. DeSoto County
DeSoto County, MS 44.9 Normal —
Tunica County, MS 75.2 Serious +30.2
Marshall County, MS 72.1 Serious +27.2
Crittenden County, AR 71.2 Serious +26.3
Shelby County, TN 65.5 Serious +20.6
Tate County, MS 60.1 Elevated +15.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. DeSoto County
Parker County, TX 44.9 Normal -0.0
Douglas County, KS 44.9 Normal -0.1
Rutland County, VT 44.9 Normal -0.1
Black Hawk County, IA 45.0 Normal +0.1
Catawba County, NC 45.0 Normal +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for DeSoto County as a CSV file.

Find Help in DeSoto County

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

Mississippi Bar Lawyer Referral 601-948-4471

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving DeSoto County residents at no cost.

Mississippi Center for Legal Services 1-800-498-1804
North Mississippi Rural Legal Services 1-800-898-8731

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for DeSoto County, Mississippi?

    DeSoto County has a County Distress Index score of 44.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,996th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 79th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in DeSoto County?

    The primary driver of distress in DeSoto County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 83.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does DeSoto County compare to neighboring counties?

    DeSoto County (44.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Tunica County, MS (75.2); Marshall County, MS (72.1); Crittenden County, AR (71.2).

  • 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 DeSoto County?

    DeSoto County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 193,247 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.