Lea County, New Mexico
Above the national median for credit card delinquency.
Main Findings
Lea County, New Mexico ranks 680th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 8% of credit card accounts are 60+ days past due — above the national median of 5%.
- 680th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 11th in New Mexico.
- 8% of credit card accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Credit card delinquency at the 87th percentile nationally.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 26% — national median 21%, ranked at the 86th percentile.
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 65th percentile.
- Uninsured rate at 14% — national median 8%, ranked at the 86th percentile.
Neighbors span four CDI distress fifths. The 40-point drop to Loving County, TX marks a cross-border distress gradient.
"Lea 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.
Lea County's transfer-income dependency indicator is at the 17th percentile — while every other indicator in the safety_net_buffer domain sits at or above the 21st percentile. The gap stands out against uninsured rate. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Lovington.
The Indicators Behind Lea County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Lea County's value shown alongside NM's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Lea | NM median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 86 · Rank 336 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 5% | 5% | 87th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 6% | 5% | 87th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 34% | 26% | 23% | 86th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 49 · Rank 1,589 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 40% | 28% | 23% | 95th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 32 | 65 | 126 | 3rd | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 71 · Rank 697 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 26% | 26% | 21% | 86th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 19% | 18% | 18% | 56th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 65 · Rank 1,110 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 5% | 4% | 65th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 58 · Rank 1,223 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 20% | 27% | 18% | 61st | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 13% | 20% | 16% | 21st | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 17% | 19% | 14% | 73rd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 19% | 34% | 27% | 17th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 14% | 9% | 8% | 86th | 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 Lea County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 154-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
LOVINGTON, N.M. — Lea County ranks 680th 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 Lea in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 679 counties rank more distressed. Within New Mexico, Lea ranks 11th of 33 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 delinquency as the primary driver in Lea. 8% of credit card accounts are 60+ days past due — above the national median of 5%.
"Lea 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 Lea County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Lea County's distress score?
How does Lea County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Lea County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →