Jackson Jambalaya

Eye catching: Prominent Mississippi city Gulfport ranked third in WalletHub’s list of “cities with the least sustainable credit card debts.”

“Due to low incomes and the pressures of the current economy, Gulfport residents make small monthly credit card payments, averaging just $63,” WalletHub reported. “To put this in perspective, only four cities have a lower average.” The projected credit card payoff period for Gulfport residents was just over eight years.

Jackson was the only other Mississippi city included among the 182 metropolitan cities cited. Ranked 43rd, Jackson’s payout period was five years and eight months. The cities ranked closest to Gulfport from neighboring states were Knoxville, TN, and Birmingham, AL, with payout periods of just over seven years.

A further look at Gulfport, Mississippi’s second largest city (population 72,824), only somewhat explains this rating.

Census data show the city’s poverty rate at 21.6%, up from 17.7% in 1990. The current rate is 150% over the average for the Gulfport-Biloxi metropolitan area and 20% higher than the state average. Gulfport’s per capita and median household incomes were just 80% of the metro averages and about the same as the state averages.

In other words, like in many of our larger cities, a higher than average proportion of lower income persons reside in Gulfport.

Since 1980, the overall population of the city increased 54%. The racial/ethnic makeup also changed. The percentages of Black and Hispanic populations increased while the White population decreased. The current population mix is 50% White, 38% Black, 5% Hispanic, 2% Asian, and 5% other. In 2000, the comparative mix was 60% White, 35% Black, 2% Hispanic, 1% Asian, and 2% other.

These demographic changes also affected prosperity within the city. Recent data showed median household income at $61,936 for Whites versus $25,954 for Blacks. And poverty rates came in at 13.1% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 43.3% for Black residents, and 25.1% for Hispanic or Latino residents.

Still, there was no clear reason why Gulfport’s credit card payments were so low. For example, Hattiesburg and Pascagoula had higher poverty rates and lower per capita and median incomes but were not listed. The other top 10 cities nationally with slow paying residents were far larger – Port St. Lucie, FL, North Las Vegas, NV, Miami, FL, Knoxville, Birmingham, and the Texas cities of Dallas, El Paso, and Brownsville. Interestingly, only Miami, Birmingham, El Paso, Dallas, and North Las Vegas were among the top 100 cities with fast increasing credit card debt (none in the top 20).

Calling it “Wallet Hoax,” Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes noted the site’s disclaimer that it does not guarantee the accuracy of its information and has refused to discuss its findings.

Gulfport’s listing does appear to be an anomaly, though not an inaccurate indicator.

“Blessed are those who find wisdom” – Proverbs 3:13.

Crawford is the author of A Republican’s Lament: Mississippi Needs Good Government Conservatives.