Alamosa County, Colorado
Above the national median for poverty rate — and 6.6× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Lincoln County, SD — 3%).
Main Findings
Alamosa County, Colorado ranks 785th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 22% of residents live below the federal poverty line — above the national median of 14%. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
- 785th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 64.5 · moderate-high county distress, 5th in Colorado.
- 22% of residents live below the federal poverty line (U.S. median 14%). Poverty rate at the 90th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 70th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Credit card delinquency at 7% — national median 5%, ranked at the 71st percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 24% — national median 21%, ranked at the 74th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 32-point drop to Conejos County marks where the Colorado distress corridor ends.
Alamosa County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
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 Alamosa County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Alamosa County's value shown alongside CO's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Alamosa | CO median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 65 · Rank 1,045 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 3% | 5% | 58th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 4% | 5% | 71st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 27% | 19% | 23% | 65th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 51 · Rank 1,499 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 25% | 15% | 23% | 58th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 114 | 113 | 126 | 43rd | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 64 · Rank 956 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 24% | 23% | 21% | 74th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 19% | 20% | 18% | 54th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 70 · Rank 902 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 70th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 73 · Rank 672 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 26% | 16% | 18% | 82nd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 18% | 12% | 16% | 72nd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 22% | 11% | 14% | 90th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 6% | 8% | 8% | 33rd | 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 Alamosa County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 131-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
ALAMOSA, Colo. — Alamosa County ranks 785th 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 64.5 out of 100 gives Alamosa a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 784 counties rank more distressed. Within Colorado, Alamosa ranks fifth of 64 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 safety net & buffer as the primary driver in Alamosa. 22% of residents live below the federal poverty line — above the national median of 14%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Alamosa County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Alamosa County's distress score?
How does Alamosa County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Alamosa County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →