Otero County, New Mexico
Above the national median for child poverty rate — and 9.9× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Douglas County, CO — 3%).
Main Findings
Otero County, New Mexico ranks 859th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 31% of children live below the federal poverty line — above the national median of 18%. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
- 859th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 63.2 · moderate-high county distress, 15th in New Mexico.
- 31% of children live below the federal poverty line (U.S. median 18%). Child poverty rate at the 92nd percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Unemployment at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 80th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Auto loan delinquency at 7% — national median 5%, ranked at the 69th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 23% — national median 21%, ranked at the 65th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 24-point drop to Eddy County marks where the New Mexico distress corridor ends.
Otero County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile.
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.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 31% of children under 18 in Otero 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.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Otero County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Otero County's value shown alongside NM's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Otero | NM median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 64 · Rank 1,084 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 5% | 5% | 69th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 6% | 5% | 59th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 27% | 26% | 23% | 65th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 45 · Rank 1,783 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 29% | 28% | 23% | 72nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 65 | 65 | 126 | 17th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 48 · Rank 1,630 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 23% | 26% | 21% | 65th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 15% | 18% | 18% | 31st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 80 · Rank 610 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 5% | 4% | 80th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 80 · Rank 386 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 31% | 27% | 18% | 92nd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 20% | 20% | 16% | 82nd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 19% | 19% | 14% | 84th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 9% | 9% | 8% | 58th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (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), 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 Otero County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 132-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — Otero County ranks 859th 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 63.2 out of 100 gives Otero a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 858 counties rank more distressed. Within New Mexico, Otero ranks 15th of 33 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 Otero. 31% of children live below the federal poverty line — above the national median of 18%.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Otero County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Otero County's distress score?
How does Otero County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Otero County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →