Lafayette County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.1 | 58,467 people · 78th most distressed in Mississippi
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Lafayette County, MS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.1 — 1818th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Mississippi, it ranks 78th of 82 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lafayette County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 74.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 74.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 88
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 98
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 53
Homeownership Rate 88
Rent-to-Income Ratio 45
Debt & Delinquency 61.3
Debt in Collections 46
Medical Debt 51
Student Loan Delinquency 71
Auto Loan Delinquency 77
Credit Card Delinquency 54
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 69
Community Vulnerability 37.6
Uninsured Rate 67
Disability Rate 8
Employment & Wages 31.5
Unemployment Rate 2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 77
Business Formation Rate 15
Income & Poverty 30.9
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 4
Child Poverty Rate 34

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lafayette County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lafayette County
Lafayette County, MS 47.1 Normal —
Marshall County, MS 72.1 Serious +25.0
Panola County, MS 70.4 Serious +23.3
Calhoun County, MS 66.0 Serious +18.9
Yalobusha County, MS 62.0 Elevated +14.9
Tate County, MS 60.1 Elevated +13.0
Pontotoc County, MS 55.5 Elevated +8.4
Union County, MS 51.3 Elevated +4.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lafayette County
Benton County, OR 47.1 Normal -0.0
Nassau County, FL 47.1 Normal +0.0
Lebanon County, PA 47.1 Normal -0.0
San Benito County, CA 47.0 Normal -0.1
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT 47.0 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lafayette County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Lafayette County.

NORTH MISSISSIPPI RURAL LEGAL SERVICES
Oxford
662-234-8731 Website
Foreclosure PreventionPost-PurchaseHomebuyer EducationRental Help

See all counselors in Mississippi →

Find an Attorney

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 Lafayette County residents at no cost.

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

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Lafayette County has a County Distress Index score of 47.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,818th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 78th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lafayette County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lafayette County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 74.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Lafayette County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lafayette County (47.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Marshall County, MS (72.1); Panola County, MS (70.4); Calhoun County, MS (66.0).

  • 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 Lafayette County?

    Lafayette County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 58,467 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.