Brooks County, Texas
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Brooks County. Population: 6,848 (tiny).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Brooks County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 76.2 — 42nd 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 6th of 254 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Brooks 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 DriverCommunity Vulnerability
Debt & Delinquency
Housing Cost Burden
Employment & Wages
How Brooks County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooks County, TX | 76.2 | Serious Stress | — |
| Starr County, TX | 79.2 | Serious Stress | +2.9 |
| Jim Wells County, TX | 78.1 | Serious Stress | +1.9 |
| Duval County, TX | 76.7 | Serious Stress | +0.4 |
| Kleberg County, TX | 75.5 | Serious Stress | -0.7 |
| Hidalgo County, TX | 72.4 | Serious Stress | -3.8 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (tiny) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crosby County, TX | 76.0 | Serious Stress | -0.2 |
| Noxubee County, MS | 76.5 | Serious Stress | +0.3 |
| Sharkey County, MS | 75.8 | Serious Stress | -0.4 |
| Duval County, TX | 76.7 | Serious Stress | +0.4 |
| Quitman County, GA | 76.7 | Serious Stress | +0.5 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Brooks County as a CSV file.
Resources
Brooks 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 Brooks County, Texas?
Brooks County has a County Distress Index score of 76.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 42nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in Texas out of 254 counties.
What drives financial distress in Brooks County?
The primary driver of distress in Brooks County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Brooks County compare to neighboring counties?
Brooks County (76.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Starr County, TX (79.2); Jim Wells County, TX (78.1); Duval County, TX (76.7).
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 Brooks County?
Brooks County, Texas has a population of approximately 6,848 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.