Washington County, Mississippi
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Washington County. Population: 41,946 (small).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Washington County, MS shows significant household financial distress with a score of 78.1 — 15th 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 3rd of 82 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Washington 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
Community Vulnerability
Housing Cost Burden
Employment & Wages
How Washington County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, MS | 78.1 | Serious Stress | — |
| Humphreys County, MS | 79.0 | Serious Stress | +0.8 |
| Issaquena County, MS | 77.4 | Serious Stress | -0.8 |
| Bolivar County, MS | 76.5 | Serious Stress | -1.6 |
| Sharkey County, MS | 75.8 | Serious Stress | -2.3 |
| Chicot County, AR | 72.6 | Serious Stress | -5.5 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (small) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Wells County, TX | 78.1 | Serious Stress | -0.0 |
| Holmes County, MS | 77.8 | Serious Stress | -0.3 |
| Bell County, KY | 77.8 | Serious Stress | -0.4 |
| Hardee County, FL | 77.3 | Serious Stress | -0.8 |
| Halifax County, NC | 77.3 | Serious Stress | -0.9 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Washington County as a CSV file.
Resources
Washington 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 Washington County, Mississippi?
Washington County has a County Distress Index score of 78.1 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 15th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 3rd in Mississippi out of 82 counties.
What drives financial distress in Washington County?
The primary driver of distress in Washington County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 96.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Washington County compare to neighboring counties?
Washington County (78.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Humphreys County, MS (79.0); Issaquena County, MS (77.4); Bolivar County, MS (76.5).
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 Washington County?
Washington County, Mississippi has a population of approximately 41,946 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.