Sharkey County, Mississippi
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Sharkey County. Population: 3,336 (tiny).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Sharkey County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 75.8 — 50th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Mississippi, it ranks 9th of 82 counties. It scores lower than all 4 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Sharkey County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Income & Poverty
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Housing Cost Burden
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
How Sharkey County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharkey County, MS | 75.8 | Serious Stress | — |
| Humphreys County, MS | 79.0 | Serious Stress | +3.1 |
| Washington County, MS | 78.1 | Serious Stress | +2.3 |
| Issaquena County, MS | 77.4 | Serious Stress | +1.5 |
| Yazoo County, MS | 77.1 | Serious Stress | +1.3 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (tiny) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crosby County, TX | 76.0 | Serious Stress | +0.2 |
| San Augustine County, TX | 75.6 | Serious Stress | -0.3 |
| Esmeralda County, NV | 75.5 | Serious Stress | -0.4 |
| Brooks County, TX | 76.2 | Serious Stress | +0.4 |
| Noxubee County, MS | 76.5 | Serious Stress | +0.7 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Sharkey County as a CSV file.
Resources
Sharkey County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Sharkey County, Mississippi?
Sharkey County has a County Distress Index score of 75.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 50th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 9th in Mississippi out of 82 counties.
What drives financial distress in Sharkey County?
The primary driver of distress in Sharkey County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Sharkey County compare to neighboring counties?
Sharkey County (75.8) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Humphreys County, MS (79.0); Washington County, MS (78.1); Issaquena County, MS (77.4).
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 Sharkey County?
Sharkey County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 3,336 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.