#980 Missouri · 2026

Texas County, Missouri

61.1 · moderate-high county distress 980th of 3,144 counties nationally · 25,619 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
26% Texas residents
vs.
16% U.S. median

Above the national median for disability rate — and 8.8× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (San Juan County, CO — 3%).

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 39 words · paste-ready

Texas County, Missouri ranks 980th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 26% of residents report a disability — above the national median of 16%. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.

Key Findings
  • 980th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 61.1 · moderate-high county distress, 25th in Missouri.
  • 26% of residents report a disability (U.S. median 16%). Disability rate at the 97th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
  • Credit card delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 81st percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
  • Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 53rd percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
  • Rent-to-income ratio at 23% — national median 21%, ranked at the 63rd percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
Distinctive Signals
Boundary Signal

Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 18-point drop to Pulaski County marks where the Missouri distress corridor ends.

County Distress Index cluster map. Texas County, Missouri and its neighbors colored by county distress score label.
Texas and its 8 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Texas County ranks 980th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire summary — paste-ready, any angle 21 words

Texas County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile.

— American Default Research
Index note — for feature use 34 words

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.

— American Default Research

Indicator History

Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.

Updated Jul 1, 2026
BLS 1990 to 2025

Unemployment rate

4.4% -4.9 pp since 1990
Census 1989 to 2024

Poverty rate

19.3% -1.3 pp since 1989
BEA 1969 to 2024

Transfer income share

36.5% +21.0 pp since 1969
FRED/Equifax 2014 Q2 to 2025 Q4

Subprime credit population

23.7% -6.5 pp since 2014 Q2

The Indicators Behind Texas County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Texas County's value shown alongside MO'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; higher values represent a higher mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles. A county's domain rank is computed separately against all counties. Percentile is Texas County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Texas MO median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 64 · Rank 1,074 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 6% 6% 5% 60th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 8% 5% 5% 81st Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 24% 24% 23% 51st Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025)
Default & Legal — domain score 48 · Rank 1,615 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 29% 24% 23% 70th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 82 118 126 27th Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 50 · Rank 1,524 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 23% 20% 21% 63rd HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 16% 16% 18% 38th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Labor — domain score 53 · Rank 1,407 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 4% 4% 4% 53rd U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 89 · Rank 72 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 26% 19% 18% 81st U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 26% 17% 16% 97th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 20% 14% 14% 87th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 16% 11% 8% 90th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Data compiled May 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (2025 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS May 2026, QCEW 2024), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026).

Five-Domain Breakdown

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

Safety Net & Buffer Primary driver 89
Weight 20% · Rank 72 of 3,144
Delinquency 64
Weight 20% · Rank 1,074 of 3,144
Labor 53
Weight 20% · Rank 1,407 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 50
Weight 20% · Rank 1,524 of 3,144
Default & Legal 48
Weight 20% · Rank 1,615 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), 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 Texas County 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 128-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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HOUSTON, Mo. — Texas County ranks 980th 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 61.1 out of 100 gives Texas a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 979 counties rank more distressed. Within Missouri, Texas ranks 25th of 115 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 Texas. 26% of residents report a disability — above the national median of 16%.

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.

— 30 —

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Texas County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Texas County scores 61.1 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, with the score label moderate-high county distress. It ranks 980th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 25th of 115 Missouri counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Texas County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer, at a domain score of 89. Disability rate ranks at the 97th percentile nationally.

How does Texas County compare to its neighbors?

Texas County's neighbors span three CDI score labels. Highest-distress neighbor: Howell County (62.45, moderate-high county distress). Lowest: Pulaski County (44.39, moderate-low county distress).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 13 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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