Union County, New Mexico

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.1 | 3,964 people · 18th most distressed in New Mexico
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Union County, NM registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.1 — 619th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within New Mexico, it ranks 18th of 33 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Union County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 84.6 — worse than roughly 85% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 84.6
Uninsured Rate 76
Disability Rate 93
Income & Poverty 79.0
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 77
Child Poverty Rate 81
Employment & Wages 56.5
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 51
Business Formation Rate 69
Debt & Delinquency 52.6
Debt in Collections 47
Medical Debt 75
Student Loan Delinquency 84
Auto Loan Delinquency 53
Credit Card Delinquency 52
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 42.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 43
Homeownership Rate 77
Rent-to-Income Ratio 83

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Union County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Union County
Union County, NM 63.1 Elevated —
Las Animas County, CO 67.8 Serious +4.7
Quay County, NM 67.7 Serious +4.6
Colfax County, NM 62.6 Elevated -0.5
Cimarron County, OK 56.3 Elevated -6.8
Baca County, CO 52.2 Elevated -10.9
Harding County, NM 50.3 Elevated -12.8
Dallam County, TX 47.5 Normal -15.6
Hartley County, TX 30.9 Healthy -32.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Union County
Bent County, CO 63.1 Elevated +0.0
Lake County, OR 63.0 Elevated -0.1
Caldwell Parish, LA 63.4 Elevated +0.3
Wheeler County, GA 63.4 Elevated +0.3
Elk County, KS 62.8 Elevated -0.4

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Union County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Union County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of New Mexico Lawyer Referral Program offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of New Mexico Lawyer Referral Program 505-797-6000

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Union County residents at no cost.

New Mexico Legal Aid 1-866-416-1922
Law Access New Mexico 1-800-340-9771
DNA-Peoples Legal Services, Inc. (928) 871-4151

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Union County, New Mexico?

    Union County has a County Distress Index score of 63.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 619th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 18th in New Mexico out of 33 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Union County?

    The primary driver of distress in Union County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 84.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Union County compare to neighboring counties?

    Union County (63.1) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Las Animas County, CO (67.8); Quay County, NM (67.7); Colfax County, NM (62.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Union County?

    Union County, New Mexico has a population of approximately 3,964 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.