Mississippi has the nation’s largest share of people with a debt 90 or more days late: 26.0%
Each state is shaded by how distressed its households are, from green (least) to red (most), with data through September 2026. Mississippi scores 94 out of 100.
In early 2025, 26.0% of Mississippians with credit records had a debt 90 or more days late, the highest share of any state. Unemployment is below the nation’s, so jobs are less of a strain. Holmes and Washington counties in the Delta are the country’s two most distressed; Madison, Rankin and Lamar counties are among Mississippi’s least distressed.
- Score
- 94/100
- Data through
- September 2026
- Edition
- October 2026
Next edition expected March 2027
How Mississippi ranks among the states
On financial distress, Mississippi ranks fourth among the 50 states and D.C. What sets it apart is unpaid bills, not heavy borrowing. Mississippians carry the 2nd lowest household debt per person in the country (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). Yet in early 2025, 26.0% of them had a debt 90 or more days late, the highest share of any state (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). Jobs add the least to its score: unemployment is lower than in the nation as a whole (see jobs).
What drives the score
The score has four parts. The late-payments part is built from three measures, collections and bankruptcy from two, and jobs and renters’ housing costs from one each; every measure is ranked against the other states on a scale of 0 to 100. Mississippi’s four parts average 77, higher than 94% of the other states’ averages, and that share is its score.
- Late payments97In early 2025, 19.1% of Mississippi credit card borrowers were 90 or more days behind, the highest share of any state. It ranked 2nd on car loans and 2nd on mortgages.
- Collections and bankruptcy90Mississippians filed 332.1 bankruptcy cases for every 100,000 residents in 2025, the 2nd highest rate. In early 2025, 16.7% of Mississippians had a debt in collections, the 10th highest share.
- Renters’ housing costs89In 2024, 25.6% of renter households paid half or more of their income for housing, close to the U.S. share of 26.1%.
- Jobs31Unemployment averaged 3.6% from June to August 2026, below the U.S. average of 4.1%.
Beside its neighbors
Louisiana is the only neighbor that scores higher than Mississippi. Tennessee scores lowest of the four.
State Distress Index score, 0 to 100. Louisiana’s typical household earned $61,038 in 2024, more than Mississippi’s $59,301, but more of its renters were stretched: 28.4% paid half or more of their income for housing, against 25.6% in Mississippi (Census Bureau, 2024).
Which way it’s heading
At its worst
The most distressed of the 50 states and D.C. in 32 of the 75 quarters from mid-2006 to early 2025. The last stretch at the top ran from the third quarter of 2021 to the second quarter of 2022.
Its least distressed point
Mississippi ranked 14th most distressed, with a score of 74, in the second quarter of 2024, the only quarter it ranked that low. Through 2023 it had been among the seven most distressed states in every quarter.
Jobs moved it most
The jobs part scored 99 at the end of 2019. It fell to 18 in the second quarter of 2024, when the score hit its low. By early 2025, when the history ends, it had climbed to 54 and Mississippi was tied for 3rd. Late payments scored 96 or more in every quarter from mid-2017 on. Today, with newer figures, Mississippi ranks 4th and its jobs part scores 31.
Mississippi was one of the seven most distressed states every quarter from mid-2006 through 2023, then eased to 14th in mid-2024
State Distress Index score, 0 to 100, each quarter, third quarter of 2006 to first quarter of 2025.
Is Mississippi the poorest state?
By income, yes. Mississippi’s typical household earned $59,301 in 2024, the lowest of the 50 states and D.C., against $81,604 nationwide (Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). Its poverty rate, 17.8%, was the 2nd highest, behind only Louisiana’s, and 25.0% of its children lived in poverty, a rate it shares with Louisiana and D.C. as the highest in the country.
Median household income
$59,301
U.S. $81,604
Lowest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
Residents in poverty
17.8%
U.S. 12.1%
2nd highest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
Children in poverty
25.0%
U.S. 15.5%
Tied with Louisiana and D.C. for the highest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
Mississippi had the highest poverty rate of any state in every Census estimate from 2000 to 2020
Share of residents in poverty, Mississippi and the United States, 1989 to 2024. Before 1997 the Census Bureau made estimates only for some years.
The lowest income in 21 of 31 Census estimates
Mississippi has had the lowest typical household income of the 50 states and D.C. in 21 of the 31 yearly estimates the Census Bureau has made since 1989, including every one since 2019. Income per person, which adds investment income and government benefits to pay, was also the lowest in 2024: $52,074, against $73,204 for the U.S. (Bureau of Economic Analysis).
Why is Mississippi so poor?
We don’t measure causes, so we can’t give one. What the figures show is how income is made up. Wages are 42.7% of personal income in Mississippi, the 5th lowest share, while government benefits such as Social Security and Medicare are 27.5%, the 2nd highest (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024). And 12.9% of adults have no high school diploma, the 3rd highest share (Census Bureau, 2020 to 2024).
Fewer people get food help than live in poverty
In June 2026, 312,706 Mississippians got SNAP food benefits, 10.6% of residents, close to the U.S. share of 10.7% and well below the state’s poverty rate (U.S. Department of Agriculture). The count was down 12.3% from a year earlier and below its pre-pandemic average of 432,256. A smaller count is not less need: the poverty rate is still the 2nd highest, and the count alone doesn’t say why it fell.
To apply for SNAP in Mississippi: Mississippi Department of Human Services →
Mississippi’s poorest and most distressed counties
By the Census Bureau’s poverty rate, the poorest county is Issaquena, at 55.7% in 2024, a figure resting on only 1,256 residents; Coahoma County, around Clarksdale, has the lowest typical household income, $37,206 (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). The most distressed is Holmes County, around Lexington, in Mississippi and among all 3,144 U.S. counties on our County Distress Index, which scores every county on household financial distress. Washington County, home to Greenville, is second in the nation. Madison County, north of Jackson, is the least distressed.
Mississippi has 19 of the 100 most distressed U.S. counties, including the top two, Holmes and Washington
County Distress Index score, 0 to 100, for Mississippi’s 82 counties, data through August 2026.
Loading the county map…
The county map could not be loaded. Every county is in the lists on this page.
Most distressed
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holmes | 100 | 34.3% |
| 2 | Washington | 99 | 29.4% |
| 3 | Leflore | 99 | 31.2% |
| 4 | Coahoma | 99 | 34.9% |
| 5 | Noxubee | 99 | 27.4% |
| 6 | Tunica | 99 | 25.0% |
| 7 | Bolivar | 99 | 30.0% |
| 8 | Wilkinson | 99 | 31.6% |
| 9 | Yazoo | 98 | 25.5% |
| 10 | Humphreys | 98 | 33.3% |
Least distressed
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78 | DeSoto | 59 | 9.6% |
| 79 | Lafayette | 53 | 17.9% |
| 80 | Rankin | 48 | 8.9% |
| 81 | Lamar | 45 | 11.6% |
| 82 | Madison | 37 | 9.9% |
Ranked within Mississippi, 1 = most distressed. Ranks use unrounded scores, which is why counties showing the same score can hold different ranks. Holmes, Washington, Leflore and Coahoma are four of the ten most distressed counties in the country. Poverty is the share of residents below the poverty line in 2024 (Census Bureau).
Every county, by score
Of Mississippi’s 82 counties, 60 score 80 or more, and 57.4% of Mississippians live in them. Hinds County, home to Jackson, ranks 14th in the state; Harrison County, home to Gulfport and Biloxi, 53rd; and DeSoto County, in the Memphis suburbs, 78th. No county scores below 30.
60 score 80–100
Holmes, Washington, Leflore, Coahoma, Noxubee, Tunica, Bolivar, Wilkinson, Yazoo, Humphreys, Pike, Adams, Claiborne, Hinds, Quitman, Jefferson, Marshall, Montgomery, Copiah, Panola, Sunflower, Sharkey, Clay, Jasper, Kemper, Greene, Monroe, Winston, Chickasaw, Clarke, Forrest, Grenada, Newton, Walthall, Lauderdale, Jefferson Davis, Wayne, Amite, Franklin, Yalobusha, Lawrence, Warren, Simpson, Lincoln, Attala, Leake, Benton, Marion, Scott, Perry, Choctaw, Neshoba, Harrison, Issaquena, Covington, Tallahatchie, Calhoun, Oktibbeha, Lowndes, Tate
Poorest counties aren’t always the most distressed
Poverty, income, disability and health coverage make up one of five equal parts of our county score; the other four measure late payments, collections and bankruptcy, jobs, and housing costs. At the top the two lists agree: Holmes and Coahoma are among the three poorest counties and the four most distressed. Issaquena, the poorest by Census estimate, ranks 54th on distress, and with so few residents, about a third of its measures had to be estimated. Tallahatchie County has the seventh-highest poverty rate in the state but ranks 56th on distress; its August 2026 jobless rate, 2.8%, was lower than in most Mississippi counties. Going the other way, Noxubee and Tunica rank 5th and 6th on distress without being among the ten poorest.
Downtown Greenville, the seat of Washington County, seen from above its riverfront in 2023. Washington County is the 2nd most distressed of the 3,144 U.S. counties on our County Distress Index. In 2024, 29.4% of its residents lived in poverty and its typical household earned $43,941 (Census Bureau). Its unemployment rate was 4.6% in August 2026, not adjusted for seasonal swings (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Photo: 37and7, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is Mississippi a cheap place to live?
Rent is cheap; incomes are low too. The median rent, $954 a month from 2020 to 2024, was tied for 4th lowest of the 50 states and D.C., against $1,413 nationwide (Census Bureau). Measured against what households earn, it takes 19.3% of the typical Mississippi household’s income, only a little less than the U.S. share of 20.8% (our calculation). In 2024, 25.6% of renter households paid half or more of their income for housing, close to the national share. We don’t measure the prices of food, gas and other goods, so we can’t rank the overall cost of living.
Median rent, a month
$954
U.S. $1,413
Among the 50 states and D.C., tied for 4th lowest, 2020 to 2024
Rent as a share of the typical household’s income
19.3%
U.S. 20.8%
Our calculation from Census Bureau figures: rent, 2020 to 2024; income, 2024
Basic budget for two working parents, two children
$93,750
The lowest of the 50 states and D.C., MIT Living Wage Calculator, 2025 dollars
What a household needs to get by
MIT’s Living Wage Calculator puts yearly basic costs before taxes at $43,025 for a single adult with no children. That is the 7th lowest of the 50 states and D.C. For two working parents with two children, it estimates $93,750, the nation’s lowest (2025 dollars). Those budgets cover necessities only. The typical Mississippi household earned $59,301 in 2024.
Taxes moved too: the state’s income tax rate on taxable income above $10,000 fell to 4% for 2026, and the gas tax rose in July (see what changed).
Renters and owners who spend 30% or more of income on housing
| Measure | Mississippi | U.S. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters spending 30% or more of income on housing 18th lowest | 43.6% U.S. 47.6% | 47.6% | 18th lowest |
| Homeowners spending 30% or more of income on housing Tied for 17th lowest | 19.3% U.S. 22.5% | 22.5% | Tied for 17th lowest |
| Homes lived in by their owners Tied for 15th highest | 70.0% U.S. 65.2% | 65.2% | Tied for 15th highest |
Ranks among the 50 states and D.C. Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024. Rent and housing costs in every state →
More Mississippians are behind on their debts than people in any other state
In early 2025, 26.0% of Mississippians had a debt 90 or more days late, the highest share of the 50 states and D.C., against 17.2% for the U.S. (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). The national figure is our population-weighted average of the states. That is household debt, such as credit cards, car loans and mortgages, not state government debt.
Mississippians don’t owe much by national standards. Household debt came to $41,450 per person with a credit report at the end of 2025, the 2nd lowest of any state. The national figure was $63,200. Credit card debt was $3,030 a person, the lowest in the country (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). Less of it gets paid on time.
Ranks among the 50 states and D.C., 1 = highest share: card 1st, collections 10th, auto 2nd, mortgage 2nd. The U.S. figure is our population-weighted average of the states.
Card borrowers behind rose from 15.1% at the end of 2019 to 19.1% in early 2025. Collections went the other way, from 30.2% to 16.7%, but much of that drop came as credit reports stopped counting many medical debts, so it doesn’t mean fewer people were unable to pay.
In 2022, the three big credit bureaus said they would stop reporting certain medical debts. Nationwide, the share of people with a medical collection on their record fell from about 14% in March 2022 to about 5% in June 2023 (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). Mississippi’s collections share fell from 24.9% to 15.5% over about the same months and has edged up since.
Mortgage trouble: more early-stage late payments than any state
In September 2025, 3.7% of Mississippi mortgages were 30 to 89 days late, an early stage of falling behind, the highest share of any state, against 1.6% nationwide (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). More homeowners than in most states have little cushion: 7.1% of mortgages had less than 10% equity in the second quarter of 2026 (Federal Housing Finance Agency).
| Measure | Mississippi | U.S. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgages 30 to 89 days late, Sept. 2025 Highest | 3.7% U.S. 1.6% | 1.6% | Highest |
| Mortgages with less than 10% equity, 2nd quarter of 2026 Tied for 5th highest | 7.1% U.S. 4.7% | 4.7% | Tied for 5th highest |
| People with a credit score under 620, early 2025 Highest | 22.6% U.S. 13.8% | 13.8% | Highest |
Ranks among the 50 states and D.C. Mortgages 30 to 89 days late: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Equity, what the home is worth minus what’s owed on it: Federal Housing Finance Agency. Credit scores: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia; the U.S. figure is our population-weighted average of the states.
A second measure: dollars behind
The New York Fed counts money owed rather than people: the share of balances 90 or more days late. By that count, Mississippi had the 2nd highest share of car-loan balances seriously behind at the end of 2025 and the 2nd highest share of mortgage balances.
| Loan type | Mississippi | U.S. | Mississippi 2019 | U.S. 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card | 13.4% End of 2025 U.S. 12.4% Mississippi 2019 9.5% · U.S. 2019 8.1% | 12.4% | 9.5% | 8.1% |
| Auto loan | 7.7% End of 2025 U.S. 5.2% Mississippi 2019 7.5% · U.S. 2019 4.9% | 5.2% | 7.5% | 4.9% |
| Mortgage | 1.7% End of 2025 U.S. 0.9% Mississippi 2019 1.6% · U.S. 2019 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.6% | 1.0% |
Share of balances 90 or more days past due, end of 2025 and end of 2019. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax. It counts dollars, not people, so it can’t be compared with the Philadelphia Fed shares above.
How much Mississippians owe
At the end of 2019, debt per person with a credit report was $33,140 and card debt $2,240. Both have grown since, but each is still among the lowest of any state (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). Debt in every state →
Mississippi’s jobless rate is lower than the nation’s
Unemployment is low by Mississippi’s own past. The rate averaged 3.6% from June to August 2026, against 4.1% for the U.S., and was 3.4% in August alone, down from 3.7% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics). The state’s yearly rate fell from 5.5% in 2019 to 3.1% in 2023, the lowest yearly rate since at least 1990, before rising to 3.8% in 2025. Low unemployment hasn’t meant high incomes: income per person is the lowest of any state (see income).
Unemployment rate, June to August 2026
3.6%
U.S. 4.1%
Tied for 31st highest of the 50 states and D.C.
Income per person
$52,074
U.S. $73,204
Lowest of the 50 states and D.C., 2024
Residents
2,954,160
−0.1% since 2020, the 7th lowest change of the 50 states and D.C., 2025
Mississippi’s unemployment rate has been below the nation’s every month since January 2023
Unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted, Mississippi and the United States, each month, January 1990 to August 2026. No figures for October 2025, during the federal shutdown.
Fewer residents than in 2014
Mississippi’s population peaked at 2,991,892 in 2014 and was smaller in 2025 (Census Bureau). We don’t track why people move.
The highest jobless rates are in the southwest and the Delta
Jefferson County, in the southwest, had a jobless rate of 9.1% in August 2026, not adjusted for seasonal swings, the highest in Mississippi and 13th highest of the 3,143 U.S. counties with an August rate. Rankin County, outside Jackson, and Jones County, around Laurel, were the lowest, at 2.4% (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Jobless rates in selected counties
| County | Rate |
|---|---|
| Jefferson | 9.1% |
| Issaquena | 8.1% |
| Claiborne | 7.2% |
| Holmes | 5.7% |
| Washington (Greenville) | 4.6% |
| Hinds (Jackson) | 3.4% |
| DeSoto | 3.2% |
| Harrison (Gulfport) | 3.0% |
| Rankin | 2.4% |
Unemployment rate in selected counties, August 2026, not adjusted for seasonal swings. The first three are the highest in Mississippi. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unemployment in every state →
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes Mississippi’s gross domestic product, the size of its economy. Unemployment claims are filed with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
What changed in Mississippi in the past year
-
July 16, 2026
Greenwood’s hospital goes to the state’s medical center
A federal bankruptcy judge approved a plan to give Greenwood Leflore Hospital, owned by the city of Greenwood and Leflore County, to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, which took it over Aug. 1 as UMMC Greenwood. In April the hospital had told the state it would close on June 15, affecting 425 workers (Mississippi Department of Employment Security). Leflore County is the 3rd most distressed county in Mississippi (see the counties).
Mississippi Today, July 22, 2026; Mississippi Department of Employment Security, layoff notices, April to June 2026
-
July 1, 2026
The gas tax rises as the income tax falls
Under House Bill 1, passed by the Legislature in 2025, the state tax on gasoline and diesel rose to 24 cents a gallon on July 1, from 21 cents. The same law cut the income tax rate on taxable income above $10,000 to 4% for 2026, from 4.4% in 2025. The fuel tax falls on everyone who drives; the income tax cut reaches only households with taxable income above that line.
Mississippi Legislature, House Bill 1 (2025), text as sent to the Governor
-
June 24, 2026
SNAP errors could make the state pay part of food benefit costs
Mississippi’s SNAP payment error rate, the share of benefits paid in the wrong amount, was 9.51% in fiscal 2025, against 10.62% nationwide (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Under the federal budget law passed in 2025, states at or above 6% will pay part of their benefit costs, in most cases as soon as Oct. 1, 2027. Earlier, on June 11, Mississippi began blocking online and out-of-state SNAP purchases by default to guard against card theft; families can turn the block off.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 24, 2026 and state error rates, fiscal 2025; Mississippi Department of Human Services, SNAP updates
-
March 23, 2026
Jackson water bills go up
JXN Water, the manager a federal court put in charge of Jackson’s water system, raised residential bills by about 11.7%, or $8.88 a month on average, after the court approved the increase. The average single-family bill for water and sewer is now about $88 a month. Jackson is in Hinds County, the 14th most distressed county in the state.
-
Feb. 6, 2026
A federal disaster for the January ice storm
The severe winter storm of Jan. 23 to 27 brought a federal disaster declaration. FEMA’s records show help for households in 36 counties, among them Holmes, Washington, Leflore, Coahoma and Tunica, and help with public repairs in all 82 counties. Applications from households closed June 10.
FEMA, disaster declaration records for DR-4899-MS; Mississippi Emergency Management Agency
-
Nov. 13, 2025
November food benefits arrive late
November SNAP benefits were held up during the federal government shutdown. After new guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Mississippi Department of Human Services said it would pay full November benefits as soon as possible; families due to be paid Nov. 14 to 21 got up to 65% on their usual day and the rest later. The department said Nov. 21 that the remaining benefits were going out.
Mississippi Department of Human Services, Nov. 13, 2025; Nov. 21, 2025
Bankruptcy filings in Mississippi have risen four years in a row
Mississippians filed 9,774 bankruptcy cases in 2025, up 7.1% from 2024 and the most since 2019 (U.S. Courts). Measured against population, that is 332.1 filings for every 100,000 residents, the 2nd highest rate of the 50 states and D.C. and about twice the U.S. rate of 167.1. Filings were higher in 2018 and 2019. More than half of Mississippi’s cases, 53.6%, were Chapter 13, the 7th highest share. Chapter 13 sets up a court plan to repay debts over three to five years instead of wiping them out.
| Year | Filings |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 12,793 |
| 2019 | 12,569 |
| 2020 | 8,612 |
| 2021 | 6,166 |
| 2022 | 7,730 |
| 2023 | 8,779 |
| 2024 | 9,129 |
| 2025 | 9,774 |
Bankruptcy cases filed in Mississippi’s two federal court districts each calendar year. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-2. Bankruptcy filings in every state →
How foreclosure works in Mississippi
Most Mississippi foreclosures happen outside court: the trustee named in the deed of trust sells the home at a public auction. For a home you live in, federal rules generally bar the mortgage company from starting until the loan is more than 120 days behind. The sale must then be advertised in a newspaper once a week for three weeks before it can happen (Mississippi Code 89-1-55). State law lets you catch up on the past-due payments, with costs and fees, any time before the sale (Mississippi Code 89-1-59), but once the home is sold there is no right to buy it back. Mississippi has no statewide foreclosure mediation program.
- Goes through a court
- Usually not
- Newspaper notice before the sale
- 3 weeks
- Right to buy the home back after the sale
- No
- Statewide foreclosure mediation
- No
- Lender can sue for the balance left after the sale
- Yes, in court
- Home value protected from most creditors (homestead)
- Up to $75,000
What the law says. The homestead protection doesn’t apply to the mortgage itself. Sources: Mississippi Code 89-1-55 and 85-3-21; Hartman v. McInnis, Mississippi Supreme Court, 2007; federal rule 12 CFR 1024.41. How foreclosure works in Mississippi →
The federal Homeowner Assistance Fund sent Mississippi $72.3 million; through the first quarter of 2026 it had helped 5,080 households in the state pay their mortgages and other housing costs (U.S. Treasury).
The most common mortgage complaint in Mississippi: trouble with the payment process
Mississippians have sent 2,056 mortgage complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau since 2012. The largest group was trouble during the payment process (573); next came struggling to pay (381), then loan modifications, collections and foreclosure (377), an older category the bureau used for similar complaints.
- Sept. 29, 2026 Huntington Bank Struggling to pay: an existing modification, forbearance or other relief In progress
- Sept. 28, 2026 Regions Bank Struggling to pay: applying for a modification, forbearance, short sale or deed-in-lieu Closed with explanation
- Sept. 26, 2026 PennyMac Struggling to pay: applying for a modification, forbearance, short sale or deed-in-lieu Closed with explanation
- Sept. 25, 2026 MortgagePros Payment process: interest rate Closed with explanation
- Sept. 18, 2026 PennyMac Struggling to pay: trouble reaching the company about a modification, forbearance or foreclosure Closed with explanation
- Sept. 17, 2026 United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance In progress
- Sept. 16, 2026 Planet Home Lending Payment process: trouble reaching the company to fix a problem with the loan Closed with explanation
- Sept. 15, 2026 CrossCountry Mortgage Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance In progress
- Sept. 15, 2026 Vanderbilt Mortgage Struggling to pay: an existing modification, forbearance or other relief In progress
- Sept. 14, 2026 Southwest Business Corporation Struggling to pay: trouble reaching the company about a modification, forbearance or foreclosure Closed with explanation
These are the ten newest Mississippi complaints about paying a mortgage or getting help with one. They exclude complaints about taking out a loan. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s public database lists them newest first as of Oct. 14, 2026; the newest was filed Sept. 29. Complaints about credit reports are left out. The bureau publishes each person’s account without verifying it. All Mississippi mortgage complaints at the CFPB →
What to watch before the next edition
A data release will update figures on this page, and two changes to household bills are due or proposed in 2027.
-
Oct. 20, Nov. 20 and Dec. 18, 2026
New state jobless rates
September’s state unemployment rates come out Oct. 20, October’s on Nov. 20 and November’s on Dec. 18, on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ schedule. Mississippi’s August rate was 3.4%.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, October 2026 schedule; state jobless rates schedule
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Jan. 1, 2027
The income tax rate drops again
Under House Bill 1, the rate on taxable income above $10,000 falls to 3.75% for 2027.
-
Spring 2027
Another Jackson water increase is proposed
JXN Water’s financial plan of Aug. 20, 2026 calls for a rate increase of about 10% in spring 2027. It is the manager’s proposal; the federal court has not approved it.
Where Mississippi ranks highest and lowest
| Measure | Mississippi | U.S. | Rank | Latest data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Distress Index score 4th highest · Aug. 2026 | 94 | 4th highest | Aug. 2026 | |
| People with a debt 90+ days late Highest · Early 2025 | 26.0% U.S. 17.2% | 17.2% | Highest | Early 2025 |
| Card borrowers 90+ days late Highest · Early 2025 | 19.1% U.S. 13.5% | 13.5% | Highest | Early 2025 |
| People with a credit score under 620 Highest · Early 2025 | 22.6% U.S. 13.8% | 13.8% | Highest | Early 2025 |
| Mortgages 30 to 89 days late Highest · Sept. 2025 | 3.7% U.S. 1.6% | 1.6% | Highest | Sept. 2025 |
| Children in poverty Tied for highest · 2024 | 25.0% U.S. 15.5% | 15.5% | Tied for highest | 2024 |
| Residents in poverty 2nd highest · 2024 | 17.8% U.S. 12.1% | 12.1% | 2nd highest | 2024 |
| Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 2nd highest · 2025 | 332.1 U.S. 167.1 | 167.1 | 2nd highest | 2025 |
| Adults without a high school diploma 3rd highest · 2024* | 12.9% U.S. 10.4% | 10.4% | 3rd highest | 2024* |
| Residents without health insurance Tied for 7th highest · 2024* | 11.0% U.S. 8.4% | 8.4% | Tied for 7th highest | 2024* |
| Unemployment rate, three-month average Tied for 31st highest · June–August 2026 | 3.6% U.S. 4.1% | 4.1% | Tied for 31st highest | June–August 2026 |
| Median rent, a month Tied for 4th lowest · 2024* | $954 U.S. $1,413 | $1,413 | Tied for 4th lowest | 2024* |
| Household debt per person with a credit report 2nd lowest · End of 2025 | $41,450 U.S. $63,200 | $63,200 | 2nd lowest | End of 2025 |
| Income per person Lowest · 2024 | $52,074 U.S. $73,204 | $73,204 | Lowest | 2024 |
| Median household income Lowest · 2024 | $59,301 U.S. $81,604 | $81,604 | Lowest | 2024 |
“Highest” and “lowest” mean among the 50 states and D.C. * Census five-year survey, 2020 to 2024. The unemployment rate is the average of June, July and August 2026. The U.S. figures for people behind, card borrowers and credit scores are our population-weighted averages of the states. Sources for each measure are in Sources and method. Download this table: CSV.
Questions about Mississippi
Is Mississippi the poorest state?
By income, yes. Its typical household earned $59,301 in 2024, the lowest of the 50 states and D.C., and income per person, $52,074, was also the lowest (U.S. Census Bureau; Bureau of Economic Analysis). Its poverty rate, 17.8%, was the 2nd highest; only Louisiana’s was higher.
Why is Mississippi so poor?
We don’t measure causes, so we don’t name one. Our figures show a long record: Mississippi has had the lowest typical household income in 21 of the 31 Census estimates since 1989. Wages make up a smaller share of income than in most states, 42.7%, and government benefits a larger one, 27.5% (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024). The hardest-hit places are in the Delta, where Holmes County is the most distressed county in the country.
What is Mississippi’s poorest county?
By the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 estimates, Issaquena County has the highest poverty rate, 55.7%, though with only 1,256 residents the estimate is less certain than for larger counties. Coahoma County, around Clarksdale, has the lowest typical household income, $37,206. On our County Distress Index, Holmes County is the most distressed in Mississippi and in the nation.
Is it cheap to live in Mississippi?
Rent is. The median rent, $954 a month from 2020 to 2024, was tied for 4th lowest of the 50 states and D.C. (U.S. Census Bureau). Incomes are the lowest too, so rent still takes 19.3% of the typical household’s income, against 20.8% nationally (our calculation). We don’t measure the prices of food, gas or other goods.
What is the poverty line in Mississippi?
The 2026 federal poverty guideline is $15,960 a year for one person and $33,000 for a family of four, the same in Mississippi as in every state but Alaska and Hawaii (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
Is Alabama or Mississippi poorer?
Mississippi. Its typical household earned $59,301 in 2024, against $66,704 in Alabama (U.S. Census Bureau). Mississippi is also more distressed on our State Distress Index, scoring 94 to Alabama’s 82; see Alabama’s page.
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State Distress Index
Mississippi
4thmost distressed state
of the 50 states and D.C.
More distressed than 94% of the other states and D.C.
Of the 50 states and D.C., Mississippi is the fourth most distressed on the State Distress Index, American Default Research’s measure of household financial distress. Its typical household earned $59,301 in 2024, the lowest of any state (U.S. Census Bureau). In early 2025, 26.0% of Mississippians had a debt 90 or more days late, the highest share of any state (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). Holmes County is the most distressed of the 3,144 U.S. counties on American Default Research’s County Distress Index.
Questions, interviews or a custom cut of the data: press@americandefault.org
Sources and method
We gather the data, run the numbers and research each state ourselves.
This edition: October 2026 · Next edition expected March 2027
- Late payments, collections, credit scoresFederal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Consumer Credit Explorerend of 2019 to early 2025
- Household debt and dollars behindFederal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifaxend of 2019 and end of 2025
- Mortgages with little equityFederal Housing Finance Agency, National Mortgage Databasesecond quarter of 2026
- Mortgages 30 to 89 days late; mortgage complaints; medical debts on credit reportsConsumer Financial Protection Bureau: Mortgage Performance Trends; complaint database; Recent changes in medical collections on consumer credit recordsSept. 2025; Oct. 14, 2026; March 2022 to June 2023
- Bankruptcy filingsU.S. Courts, Table F-22018 to 2025
- Unemployment, state, county and nationalU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment StatisticsJan. 1990 to Aug. 2026
- Poverty and income, state and countyCensus Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates1989 to 2024
- Renters paying half or more of income on housingCensus Bureau, American Community Survey, 1-year2024
- Rent, homeownership, housing costs, schooling, disability, health insuranceCensus Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-year2020 to 2024
- PopulationCensus Bureau, population estimates2014 to 2025
- Income per person and its sourcesBureau of Economic Analysis2024
- SNAPU.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition AdministrationBefore the pandemic; June 2025 to June 2026
- Cost of basic needsMIT Living Wage Calculator2025 dollars
- Mortgage help fundU.S. Treasury, Homeowner Assistance Fundthrough the first quarter of 2026
- Foreclosure lawMississippi Code, Title 89, Chapter 1, Title 85, Chapter 3; Hartman v. McInnis (2007); 12 CFR 1024.41as of 2026
- Poverty guidelineU.S. Department of Health and Human Services2026
- Housing counselorsU.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentOctober 2026
- What changed and what to watchMississippi Today, Mississippi Department of Employment Security, Mississippi Legislature, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mississippi Department of Human Services, JXN Water, FEMA, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, Census Bureau release schedule, Bureau of Labor Statistics release schedule; each item links the page it was read on (see what changed)Nov. 2025 to spring 2027
- County photo37and7, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.02023
The score has four equal parts: late payments; collections and bankruptcy; jobs; and renters’ housing costs. Each measure is ranked against the 50 states and D.C., and the score is the share of the other 50 that Mississippi is more distressed than. The full method →
We write with AI tools, and Ross Kilburn checks and reviews every page before it's published.
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Thanks, that helps.