Sierra County, New Mexico
Above the national median for unemployment — and 6.7× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Sierra County, New Mexico ranks 939th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 7% of the labor force is unemployed — above the national median of 4%. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
- 939th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 61.8 · moderate-high county distress, 20th in New Mexico.
- 7% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Child poverty rate at 35% — national median 18%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 30% — national median 21%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Debt in collections at 27% — national median 23%, ranked at the 63rd percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 25-point drop to Lincoln County marks where the New Mexico distress corridor ends.
Sierra 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 Labor.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Sierra County's uninsured rate indicator is at the 9th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 93rd percentile. The gap stands out against child poverty rate and disability rate. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Truth or Consequences.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 35% of children under 18 in Sierra 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 Sierra County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Sierra County's value shown alongside NM's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Sierra | NM median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 18 · Rank 2,681 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 5% | 5% | 12th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 2% | 6% | 5% | 5th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 21% | 26% | 23% | 38th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 46 · Rank 1,715 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 27% | 28% | 23% | 63rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 87 | 65 | 126 | 29th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 72 · Rank 656 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 30% | 26% | 21% | 95th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 18% | 18% | 18% | 49th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 95 · Rank 68 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 7% | 5% | 4% | 95th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 77 · Rank 486 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 35% | 27% | 18% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 29% | 20% | 16% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 24% | 19% | 14% | 93rd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 4% | 9% | 8% | 9th | 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 Sierra County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 129-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M. — Sierra County ranks 939th 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 61.8 out of 100 gives Sierra a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 938 counties rank more distressed. Within New Mexico, Sierra ranks 20th 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 labor as the primary driver in Sierra. 7% of the labor force is unemployed — above the national median of 4%.
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 Sierra County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Sierra County's distress score?
How does Sierra County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Sierra County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →