Bee County, Texas
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Bee County. Population: 30,850 (small).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Bee County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 76.9 — 31st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Texas, it ranks 4th of 254 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Bee County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Income & Poverty
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Employment & Wages
Community Vulnerability
Housing Cost Burden
How Bee County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bee County, TX | 76.9 | Serious Stress | — |
| San Patricio County, TX | 73.3 | Serious Stress | -3.6 |
| Refugio County, TX | 71.8 | Serious Stress | -5.0 |
| Karnes County, TX | 67.4 | Serious Stress | -9.5 |
| Live Oak County, TX | 61.4 | Elevated | -15.5 |
| Goliad County, TX | 54.1 | Elevated | -22.8 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (small) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland County, NC | 76.8 | Serious Stress | -0.0 |
| Ripley County, MO | 77.0 | Serious Stress | +0.1 |
| McIntosh County, OK | 76.8 | Serious Stress | -0.1 |
| Seminole County, OK | 76.8 | Serious Stress | -0.1 |
| Yazoo County, MS | 77.1 | Serious Stress | +0.2 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Bee County as a CSV file.
Resources
Bee County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Bee County, Texas?
Bee County has a County Distress Index score of 76.9 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 31st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in Texas out of 254 counties.
What drives financial distress in Bee County?
The primary driver of distress in Bee County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 85.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Bee County compare to neighboring counties?
Bee County (76.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: San Patricio County, TX (73.3); Refugio County, TX (71.8); Karnes County, TX (67.4).
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 Bee County?
Bee County, Texas has a population of approximately 30,850 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.