Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Above the national median for unemployment — and 6.1× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Santa Cruz County, Arizona ranks 263rd most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 6% of the labor force is unemployed — above the national median of 4%. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
- 263rd of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 75.9 · high county distress, 1st in Arizona.
- 6% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Credit card delinquency at 7% — national median 5%, ranked at the 78th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Child poverty rate at 29% — national median 18%, ranked at the 88th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 26% — national median 21%, ranked at the 84th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
"Santa Cruz County has a high county distress score. The score label gives the intensity; the rank gives the national position."
"The CDI gives this county a high county distress label. The rank belongs beside the score because the two answer different questions: score intensity and national position. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Santa Cruz County's disability rate indicator is at the 20th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 80th percentile. The gap stands out against child poverty rate and poverty rate. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Nogales.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 29% of children under 18 in Santa Cruz County live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Santa Cruz County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Santa Cruz County's value shown alongside AZ's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Santa Cruz | AZ median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 75 · Rank 675 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 6% | 5% | 78th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 6% | 5% | 78th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 29% | 26% | 23% | 71st | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 67 · Rank 859 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 25% | 26% | 23% | 58th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 199 | 128 | 126 | 75th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 70 · Rank 738 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 26% | 28% | 21% | 84th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 19% | 19% | 18% | 55th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 95 · Rank 53 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 6% | 5% | 4% | 95th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 72 · Rank 695 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 29% | 21% | 18% | 88th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 12% | 15% | 16% | 20th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 20% | 17% | 14% | 86th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 14% | 11% | 8% | 87th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
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), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Santa Cruz County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 147-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
NOGALES, Ariz. — Santa Cruz County ranks 263rd 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 75.9 out of 100 gives Santa Cruz a high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 262 counties rank more distressed. Within Arizona, Santa Cruz ranks first of 15 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies labor as the primary driver in Santa Cruz. 6% of the labor force is unemployed — above the national median of 4%.
"Santa Cruz County has a high county distress score. The score label gives the intensity; the rank gives the national position," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Santa Cruz County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Santa Cruz County's distress score?
How does Santa Cruz County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Santa Cruz County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →