About two in five adults aged 25 to 54 in Greene County, Mississippi, are not working
In Greene County, 44.7% of adults aged 25 to 54 were not working (Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024). That is higher than in 99% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 94% of U.S. counties.
What drives Greene County's score
In Greene County, jobs weigh most: the score for jobs is 95.0. About two in five adults aged 25 to 54 (44.7%, 2020 to 2024) aren't working, a higher share than in 95% of U.S. counties. Late payments on loans come next, at 89.6.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
Greene County does better than most counties on one measure: rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income (19.3%, fiscal year 2027).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Greene County ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 95.0 of 100
Jobs
Biggest factorAdults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working44.7% · 2020 to 202495th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average6.5% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202695th percentile
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- 89.6 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind9.0% · August 202588th percentile
- People with a credit card behind8.3% · August 202586th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score38.4% · Q4 202593rd percentile
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- 86.7 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line23.1% · 202476th percentile
- People with a disability27.3% · 2020 to 202495th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$56,231 · 202480th percentile
- People below the poverty line22.0% · 202491st percentile
- People without health insurance15.5% · 2020 to 202490th percentile
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- 72.1 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector31.3% · August 202577th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people169.1 · 202566th percentile
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- 51.8 of 100
Housing costs
HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income19.3% · fiscal year 202734th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent21.3% · 2020 to 202468th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
Where the money in Greene County comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Greene County
Mississippi
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Greene County in 2024, pay from work was 57 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 10 cents. Benefit checks were 34 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 17 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In Greene County, benefit checks rose from 17 to 34 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Greene County, Mississippi: 33.7% and 56.5% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 33.7% of all personal income in Greene County, Mississippi (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Greene County, 15.1% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Greene County has changed
The number of people living in Greene County grew by about 60% between 1969 and 2024, from 8,563 to 13,675. The number of jobs located there grew by about 53% from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 11.4% in 1990 to 6.9% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 8,563 | 2024 13,675 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 1,234 | 2024 1,889 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 11.4% | 2025 6.9% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 27.1% | 2024 22.0% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $16,522 | 2024 $56,231 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 16.7% | 2024 33.7% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in Greene County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 2010 Census count of 14,400. The 2020 Census counted 13,530, 94% of the peak. Census Bureau
1811
Established in 1811. Wikipedia
1830
Choctaw people forced to cede lands under Indian Removal Act of 1830. Wikipedia
1860
Cotton cultivation severely limited by sandy soil; only 16 of 213 farmers raised cotton in 1860. Wikipedia
1983
Tornado: $2.5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
1998
Thunderstorm wind: $1.4 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2011
Tornado: $11.1 million in property damage, one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1969
33 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Greene County, 8 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Greene County beside its neighbors
Greene County scores higher than all five counties that border it, in Mississippi and Alabama. For the share of income from benefit checks, Greene County ranks 3rd of the six; Perry County is highest, at 38.3%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greene County, MS | 94 | 22.0% | 33.7% |
| Mobile County, AL | 91 | 16.7% | 27.2% |
| Wayne County, MS | 91 | 21.3% | 32.1% |
| Perry County, MS | 86 | 17.8% | 38.3% |
| George County, MS | 72 | 14.1% | 28.5% |
| Washington County, AL | 67 | 17.8% | 34.9% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Greene County the poorest county in Mississippi?
No, Greene County's poverty rate was 22.0% in 2024, 25th highest of 82 in Mississippi (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Issaquena County, at 55.7%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Greene County ranks 26th of 82 in the state.
Greene County, Mississippi: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Greene County, Mississippi?
22.0% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in five people. Among children it was 23.1%.
Is Greene County the poorest county in Mississippi?
No, Greene County's poverty rate was 22.0% in 2024, 25th highest of 82 in Mississippi (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Issaquena County, at 55.7%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Greene County ranks 26th of 82 in the state.
What is the population of Greene County, Mississippi?
About 13,675 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 13,530, 94% of the county's peak of 14,400 in 2010.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Greene County
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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Mississippi Center for Legal Services
Legal aid
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North Mississippi Rural Legal Services
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,313 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Greene County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Greene County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.