#1,227 Mississippi · 2026

Tishomingo County, Mississippi

Second-most distressed fifth 1,227th of 3,144 counties nationally · 18,507 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
21% Tishomingo residents
vs.
16% U.S. median

Above the national median for disability rate — and 7.2× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (San Juan County, CO — 3%).

Census ACS 5-yr (2023)

Main Findings

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Tishomingo County, Mississippi ranks 1,227th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 21% of residents report a disability — above the national median of 16%.

Key Findings
  • 1,227th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 72nd in Mississippi.
  • 21% of residents report a disability (U.S. median 16%). Disability rate at the 85th percentile nationally.
  • Bankruptcy filing rate at 303 — national median 126, ranked at the 91st percentile.
  • Severe rent burden (50%+) at 23% — national median 18%, ranked at the 80th percentile.
  • Credit card delinquency at 7% — national median 5%, ranked at the 72nd percentile.
Distinctive Signals
Boundary Signal

Neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. The 18-point drop to Itawamba County marks where the Mississippi distress corridor ends.

County Distress Index cluster map. Tishomingo County, Mississippi and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Tishomingo and its 7 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Tishomingo County ranks 1,227th of 3,144. American Default Research
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"Tishomingo County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 30 words

"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Tishomingo County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Tishomingo County's value shown alongside MS's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is Tishomingo County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Tishomingo MS median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 56 · Rank 1,361 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 4% 10% 5% 29th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 7% 9% 5% 72nd Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 27% 38% 23% 66th Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 70 · Rank 743 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 23% 31% 23% 48th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 303 314 126 91st US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 66 · Rank 869 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 21% 22% 21% 53rd HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 23% 19% 18% 80th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 21 · Rank 2,492 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 3% 3% 4% 21st BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 71 · Rank 770 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 18% 28% 18% 51st Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 21% 19% 16% 85th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 15% 20% 14% 64th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 34% 34% 27% 81st BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 11% 12% 8% 72nd Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Safety Net & Buffer Primary driver 71
Weight 20% · Rank 770 of 3,144
Default & Legal 70
Weight 20% · Rank 743 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 66
Weight 20% · Rank 869 of 3,144
Delinquency 56
Weight 20% · Rank 1,361 of 3,144
Labor 21
Weight 20% · Rank 2,492 of 3,144

Methodology

The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.

Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite Tishomingo County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
Draft wire copy 152-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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IUKA, Miss. — Tishomingo County ranks 1,227th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.

The composite score of 57 out of 100 places Tishomingo in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,226 counties rank more distressed. Within Mississippi, Tishomingo ranks 72nd of 82 counties.

The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies safety net & buffer as the primary driver in Tishomingo. 21% of residents report a disability — above the national median of 16%.

"Tishomingo County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Tishomingo County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Tishomingo County scores 57 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the second-most distressed fifth. It ranks 1,227th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 72nd of 82 Mississippi counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Tishomingo County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer, at a domain score of 71. Disability rate ranks at the 85th percentile nationally.

How does Tishomingo County compare to its neighbors?

Tishomingo County's neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Hardin County, TN (64.84, Second-most distressed fifth). Lowest: Itawamba County (46.64, Middle fifth).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 16 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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