Huerfano County, Colorado
Above the national median for unemployment — and 17.7× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 0%).
Main Findings
Huerfano County, Colorado ranks 795th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 5% of the labor force is unemployed — above the national median of 4%.
- 795th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 5th in Colorado.
- 5% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 90th percentile nationally.
- Disability rate at 23% — national median 16%, ranked at the 93rd percentile.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 25% — national median 21%, ranked at the 82nd percentile.
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 170 — national median 126, ranked at the 67th percentile.
Neighbors span four CDI distress fifths. The 59-point drop to Custer County marks where the Colorado distress corridor ends.
"Huerfano County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."
"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
Huerfano County's uninsured rate indicator is at the 10th percentile — while every other indicator in the safety_net_buffer domain sits at or above the 65th percentile. The gap stands out against child poverty rate and disability rate. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Walsenburg.
31% of children under 18 in Huerfano 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.
The Indicators Behind Huerfano County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Huerfano County's value shown alongside CO's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Huerfano | CO median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 36 · Rank 2,027 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 3% | 5% | 13th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 4% | 5% | 47th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 23% | 19% | 23% | 49th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 55 · Rank 1,331 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 21% | 15% | 23% | 42nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 170 | 113 | 126 | 67th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 65 · Rank 925 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 25% | 23% | 21% | 82nd | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 17% | 20% | 18% | 47th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 90 · Rank 304 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 3% | 4% | 90th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 74 · Rank 639 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 31% | 16% | 18% | 91st | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 23% | 12% | 16% | 93rd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 18% | 11% | 14% | 79th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 40% | 22% | 27% | 93rd | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 4% | 8% | 8% | 10th | Census ACS 5-yr (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), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Huerfano County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 150-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
WALSENBURG, Colo. — Huerfano County ranks 795th 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 out of 100 places Huerfano in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 794 counties rank more distressed. Within Colorado, Huerfano ranks fifth of 64 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 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 Huerfano. 5% of the labor force is unemployed — above the national median of 4%.
"Huerfano County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," 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 Huerfano County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Huerfano County's distress score?
How does Huerfano County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Huerfano County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →