#686 Louisiana · 2026

Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana

Second-most distressed fifth 686th of 3,144 counties nationally · 103,616 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
34% Terrebonne Parish residents
vs.
23% U.S. median

Above the national median for subprime credit share.

Urban Institute (2024)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 34 words · paste-ready

Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana ranks 686th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 34% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%.

Key Findings
  • 686th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 47th in Louisiana.
  • 34% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 87th percentile nationally.
  • Bankruptcy filing rate at 224 — national median 126, ranked at the 81st percentile.
  • Child poverty rate at 22% — national median 18%, ranked at the 70th percentile.
  • Severe rent burden (50%+) at 21% — national median 18%, ranked at the 70th percentile.
County Distress Index cluster map. Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Terrebonne Parish and its 3 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Terrebonne Parish ranks 686th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 28 words

"Terrebonne Parish 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."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 30 words

"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."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Terrebonne Parish's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Terrebonne Parish's value shown alongside LA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is Terrebonne Parish's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Terrebonne Parish LA median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 83 · Rank 442 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 8% 8% 5% 82nd Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 8% 8% 5% 80th Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 34% 35% 23% 87th Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 80 · Rank 435 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 32% 34% 23% 78th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 224 225 126 81st US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 61 · Rank 1,091 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 21% 22% 21% 51st HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 21% 21% 18% 70th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 43 · Rank 1,764 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 3% 4% 4% 43rd BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 63 · Rank 1,047 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 22% 28% 18% 70th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 17% 17% 16% 60th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 16% 20% 14% 68th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 27% 30% 27% 51st BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 8% 8% 8% 46th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Delinquency Primary driver 83
Weight 20% · Rank 442 of 3,144
Default & Legal 80
Weight 20% · Rank 435 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 63
Weight 20% · Rank 1,047 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 61
Weight 20% · Rank 1,091 of 3,144
Labor 43
Weight 20% · Rank 1,764 of 3,144

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 Terrebonne Parish data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
Draft wire copy 155-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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HOUMA, La. — Terrebonne Parish ranks 686th 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 66 out of 100 places Terrebonne Parish in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 685 counties rank more distressed. Within Louisiana, Terrebonne Parish ranks 47th of 64 parishes.

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 delinquency as the primary driver in Terrebonne Parish. 34% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%.

"Terrebonne Parish 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Terrebonne Parish's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Terrebonne Parish scores 66 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the second-most distressed fifth. It ranks 686th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 47th of 64 Louisiana parishes. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Terrebonne Parish's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Delinquency, at a domain score of 83. Subprime credit share ranks at the 87th percentile nationally.

How does Terrebonne Parish compare to its neighbors?

Terrebonne Parish's neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: St. Mary Parish (76.33, Most distressed fifth). Lowest: Lafourche Parish (61.76, Second-most distressed fifth).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 16 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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