About one in five people in Pearl River County, Mississippi, has a disability
In Pearl River County, 21.2% of people reported a disability (Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024). That is higher than in 85% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 77% of U.S. counties.
What drives Pearl River County's score
In Pearl River County, late payments on loans weigh most: the score for late payments on loans is 79.3. About one in three people (33.0%, Q4 2025) has a subprime credit score, a higher share than in 82% of U.S. counties. Income and the safety net comes next, at 78.6.
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.
Pearl River County does better than most counties on two measures: unemployment rate, 12-month average (3.5%, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026) and rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income (20.4%, fiscal year 2027).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Pearl River 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.
- 79.3 of 100
Late payments
Biggest factorCredit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind7.6% · August 202580th percentile
- People with a credit card behind7.1% · August 202575th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score33.0% · Q4 202582nd percentile
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- 78.6 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line22.2% · 202473rd percentile
- People with a disability21.2% · 2020 to 202485th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$56,958 · 202478th percentile
- People below the poverty line16.5% · 202473rd percentile
- People without health insurance12.9% · 2020 to 202482nd percentile
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- 64.7 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector27.8% · August 202567th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people157 · 202562nd percentile
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- 56.5 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 income20.4% · fiscal year 202746th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent20.8% · 2020 to 202466th percentile
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- 50.1 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working24.5% · 2020 to 202471st percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average3.5% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202628th 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 Pearl River 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
Pearl River County
Mississippi
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Pearl River County in 2024, pay from work was 57 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 13 cents. Benefit checks were 30 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 10 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In Pearl River County, benefit checks rose from 10 to 30 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Pearl River County, Mississippi: 30.2% and 56.7% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 30.2% of all personal income in Pearl River 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 Pearl River County, 19.6% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Pearl River County has changed
The number of people living in Pearl River County more than doubled between 1969 and 2024, from 27,393 to 59,030. The number of jobs located there grew by about 71% from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 8.7% in 1990 to 3.7% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 27,393 | 2024 59,030 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 6,812 | 2024 11,629 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 8.7% | 2025 3.7% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 22.9% | 2024 16.5% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $19,310 | 2024 $56,958 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 10.3% | 2024 30.2% |
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 Pearl River County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 56,145, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
1890
Present-day Pearl River County organized in 1890; originally formed as Pearl County in 1872 and dissolved in 1878. Wikipedia
2002
Thunderstorm wind: $5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2005
Hurricane Katrina inflicted heavy damage on Poplarville. Wikipedia
2012
Flash flood: $1 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2012
Tornado: $2.5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2021
Thunderstorm wind: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1965
37 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Pearl River County, 6 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Pearl River County beside its neighbors
Of the seven counties that border Pearl River County, in Mississippi and Louisiana, four score higher. For the share of income from benefit checks, Pearl River County ranks 4th of the eight; Washington Parish is highest, at 41.4%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Parish, LA | 94 | 25.6% | 41.4% |
| Forrest County, MS | 92 | 21.4% | 28.3% |
| Marion County, MS | 86 | 19.8% | 37.9% |
| Stone County, MS | 79 | 16.0% | 35.8% |
| Pearl River County, MS | 77 | 16.5% | 30.2% |
| Hancock County, MS | 69 | 16.5% | 28.2% |
| St. Tammany Parish, LA | 53 | 10.2% | 17.2% |
| Lamar County, MS | 46 | 11.6% | 20.0% |
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 Pearl River County the poorest county in Mississippi?
No, Pearl River County's poverty rate was 16.5% in 2024, 63rd 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, Pearl River County ranks 65th of 82 in the state.
Pearl River County in photographs
Places in Pearl River County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
Pearl River County Courthouse located in Poplarville, Mississippi, USA.
Pearl River County, Mississippi: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Pearl River County, Mississippi?
16.5% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in six people. Among children it was 22.2%.
Is Pearl River County the poorest county in Mississippi?
No, Pearl River County's poverty rate was 16.5% in 2024, 63rd 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, Pearl River County ranks 65th of 82 in the state.
What is the population of Pearl River County, Mississippi?
About 59,030 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 56,145, the most of any census.
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 Pearl River 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 Pearl River 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 Pearl River County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.