Unemployment in Jefferson County, Mississippi, is higher than in 99% of U.S. counties
In Jefferson County, 9.3% of the labor force was out of work, on average (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026). That is higher than in 99% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 97% of U.S. counties.
What drives Jefferson County's score
In Jefferson County, jobs weigh most: the score for jobs is 95.0. About one in three adults aged 25 to 54 (33.7%, 2020 to 2024) isn't working, a higher share than in 95% of U.S. counties. Collections and bankruptcy comes next, at 93.8.
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.
Jefferson County does better than most counties on two measures: people with a disability (13.1%, 2020 to 2024) and renters paying half their income or more in rent (16.4%, 2020 to 2024).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Jefferson 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 working33.7% · 2020 to 202495th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average9.3% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202695th percentile
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- 93.8 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector43.2% · August 202595th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people317 · 202592nd percentile
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- 91.1 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind17.1% · August 202595th percentile
- People with a credit card behind7.9% · August 202583rd percentile
- People with a subprime credit score52.4% · Q4 202595th percentile
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- 75.8 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line40.4% · 202495th percentile
- People with a disability13.1% · 2020 to 202423rd percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$39,950 · 202495th percentile
- People below the poverty line30.5% · 202495th percentile
- People without health insurance10.7% · 2020 to 202470th percentile
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- 65.3 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 income27.2% · fiscal year 202791st percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent16.4% · 2020 to 202439th 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 Jefferson 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
Jefferson County
Mississippi
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Jefferson County in 2024, pay from work was 48 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 9 cents. Benefit checks were 43 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks brought in more than pay in two of the years since 1969, but pay is ahead now.
In Jefferson County, benefit checks rose from 20 to 43 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Jefferson County, Mississippi: 42.7% and 48.2% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 42.7% of all personal income in Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, 20.2% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Jefferson County has changed
The number of people living in Jefferson County fell by about three in 10 between 1969 and 2024, from 9,398 to 6,900. The number of jobs located there fell by about two in 10 from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 22.8% in 1990 to 10.4% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 9,398 | 2024 6,900 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 1,195 | 2024 953 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 22.8% | 2025 10.4% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 38.4% | 2024 30.5% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $12,919 | 2024 $39,950 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 19.8% | 2024 42.7% |
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 Jefferson County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 1900 Census count of 21,292. The 2020 Census counted 7,260, 34% of the peak. Census Bureau
1900
Cotton plantation economy collapsed after mechanization. Wikipedia
2005
Flash flood: $1 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2008
Flash flood: $2 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1965
26 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Jefferson County, 8 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Jefferson County beside its neighbors
Of the six counties that border Jefferson County, in Mississippi and Louisiana, two score higher. For the share of income from benefit checks, Jefferson County ranks 2nd of the seven; Claiborne County is highest, at 47.1%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County, MS | 98 | 24.0% | 35.6% |
| Claiborne County, MS | 98 | 33.3% | 47.1% |
| Jefferson County, MS | 97 | 30.5% | 42.7% |
| Tensas Parish, LA | 97 | 27.4% | 39.0% |
| Copiah County, MS | 97 | 19.5% | 35.8% |
| Franklin County, MS | 89 | 18.8% | 38.1% |
| Lincoln County, MS | 88 | 16.2% | 29.0% |
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 Jefferson County the poorest county in Mississippi?
No, Jefferson County's poverty rate was 30.5% in 2024, 11th 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, Jefferson County ranks 16th of 82 in the state.
Jefferson County in photographs
Places in Jefferson County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
Aerial Photography Index for Jefferson County, Mississippi, Sheet 2 - DPLA - 6a57a165af3d71716111286594f69411.jpg.
Aerial Photography Index for Jefferson County, Mississippi, Sheet 4 - DPLA - ccce84b6483a3cb72891d5d3fb3ae262.jpg.
Jefferson County, Mississippi: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Jefferson County, Mississippi?
30.5% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in three people. Among children it was 40.4%.
Is Jefferson County the poorest county in Mississippi?
No, Jefferson County's poverty rate was 30.5% in 2024, 11th 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, Jefferson County ranks 16th of 82 in the state.
What is the population of Jefferson County, Mississippi?
About 6,900 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 7,260, 34% of the county's peak of 21,292 in 1900.
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 Jefferson 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 1,311 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.