#948 Missouri · 2026

Texas County, Missouri

Second-most distressed fifth 948th 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%).

Census ACS 5-yr (2023)

Main Findings

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Texas County, Missouri ranks 948th 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%.

Key Findings
  • 948th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 25th in Missouri.
  • 26% of residents report a disability (U.S. median 16%). Disability rate at the 97th percentile nationally.
  • Credit card delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 81st percentile.
  • Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 58th percentile.
  • Rent-to-income ratio at 23% — national median 21%, ranked at the 63rd percentile.
Distinctive Signals
Boundary Signal

Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. 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 distress fifth.
Texas and its 8 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Texas County ranks 948th of 3,144. American Default Research
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"Texas 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."

— 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 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, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. 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 1,075 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 6% 6% 5% 60th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 8% 5% 5% 81st Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 24% 24% 23% 51st Urban Institute (2024)
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 (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 82 118 126 27th US 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 × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 16% 16% 18% 38th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 58 · Rank 1,295 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 4% 3% 4% 58th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 84 · Rank 251 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 26% 19% 18% 81st Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 26% 17% 16% 97th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 20% 14% 14% 87th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 36% 30% 27% 87th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 16% 11% 8% 90th 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.

Safety Net & Buffer Primary driver 84
Weight 20% · Rank 251 of 3,144
Delinquency 64
Weight 20% · Rank 1,075 of 3,144
Labor 58
Weight 20% · Rank 1,295 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), 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 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
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HOUSTON, Mo. — Texas County ranks 948th 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 out of 100 places Texas in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 947 counties rank more distressed. Within Missouri, Texas ranks 25th of 115 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 safety net & buffer as the primary driver in Texas. 26% of residents report a disability — above the national median of 16%.

"Texas 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

Texas County scores 61 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the second-most distressed fifth. It ranks 948th 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 84. Disability rate ranks at the 97th percentile nationally.

How does Texas County compare to its neighbors?

Texas County's neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Howell County (62.37, Second-most distressed fifth). Lowest: Pulaski County (44.18, Second-least 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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