Lee County, Mississippi

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.1 | 82,799 people · 76th most distressed in Mississippi
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Lee County, MS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 48.1 — 1739th 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 76th of 82 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lee County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 79.4 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 79.4
Debt in Collections 68
Medical Debt 68
Student Loan Delinquency 62
Auto Loan Delinquency 90
Credit Card Delinquency 92
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 97
Housing Cost Burden 53.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 73
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 70
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 33
Homeownership Rate 70
Rent-to-Income Ratio 23
Community Vulnerability 52.9
Uninsured Rate 71
Disability Rate 35
Income & Poverty 37.0
Poverty Rate 49
Income vs. State Median 10
Child Poverty Rate 52
Employment & Wages 17.6
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 34
Business Formation Rate 8

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lee County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lee County
Lee County, MS 48.1 Normal —
Chickasaw County, MS 66.2 Serious +18.1
Pontotoc County, MS 55.5 Elevated +7.4
Prentiss County, MS 53.8 Elevated +5.7
Monroe County, MS 51.4 Elevated +3.2
Union County, MS 51.3 Elevated +3.2
Itawamba County, MS 39.5 Normal -8.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lee County
Lafayette Parish, LA 48.2 Normal +0.1
New Hanover County, NC 48.2 Normal +0.1
Maury County, TN 48.2 Normal +0.1
Riley County, KS 48.0 Normal -0.1
Bay County, MI 48.2 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lee County

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 Lee 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Mississippi →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Lee County has a County Distress Index score of 48.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,739th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 76th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lee County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lee County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 79.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Lee County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lee County (48.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Chickasaw County, MS (66.2); Pontotoc County, MS (55.5); Prentiss County, MS (53.8).

  • 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 Lee County?

    Lee County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 82,799 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.