Bell County, Texas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.6 | 393,193 people · 119th most distressed in Texas
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Bell County, TX registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.6 — 867th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Texas, it ranks 119th of 254 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Bell County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 80.8 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 80.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 89
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 78
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 90
Homeownership Rate 96
Rent-to-Income Ratio 52
Debt & Delinquency 76.3
Debt in Collections 89
Medical Debt 70
Student Loan Delinquency 82
Auto Loan Delinquency 81
Credit Card Delinquency 83
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 53
Community Vulnerability 64.2
Uninsured Rate 86
Disability Rate 42
Employment & Wages 45.3
Unemployment Rate 69
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 39
Business Formation Rate 28
Income & Poverty 31.3
Poverty Rate 33
Income vs. State Median 22
Child Poverty Rate 39

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Bell County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Bell County
Bell County, TX 59.6 Elevated —
Falls County, TX 66.0 Serious +6.4
McLennan County, TX 62.1 Elevated +2.6
Coryell County, TX 61.2 Elevated +1.7
Milam County, TX 59.1 Elevated -0.5
Lampasas County, TX 57.0 Elevated -2.6
Burnet County, TX 41.5 Normal -18.1
Williamson County, TX 37.2 Normal -22.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Bell County
Leon County, FL 59.5 Elevated -0.0
Stanislaus County, CA 59.5 Elevated -0.0
Lee County, FL 59.5 Elevated -0.1
East Baton Rouge Parish, LA 59.5 Elevated -0.1
Montgomery County, OH 59.9 Elevated +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Bell County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Bell County.

FAMILIES IN CRISIS, INC.
Killeen
254-634-1184 Website
Homeless/DisplacementRental Help

See all counselors in Texas →

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Texas — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Texas — Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-252-9690

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Bell County residents at no cost.

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid 1-888-988-9996
Lone Star Legal Aid 1-800-733-8394
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (888) 529-5277

Self-Help Resources

Texas State Law Library — Foreclosure Research Guide Comprehensive guide to Texas foreclosure law with links to statutes, forms, and practice guides.
TexasLawHelp.org Free legal information and self-help resources for low-income Texans.

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

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Texas →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Bell County, Texas?

    Bell County has a County Distress Index score of 59.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 867th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 119th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Bell County?

    The primary driver of distress in Bell County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 80.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Bell County compare to neighboring counties?

    Bell County (59.6) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Falls County, TX (66.0); McLennan County, TX (62.1); Coryell County, TX (61.2).

  • 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 Bell County?

    Bell County, Texas has a population of approximately 393,193 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.