Brown County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 71.1 | 38,709 people · 33rd most distressed in Texas
American Default Research

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

Brown County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 71.1 — 159th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Texas, it ranks 33rd of 254 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Brown County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 91.4 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 91.4
Uninsured Rate 94
Disability Rate 89
Debt & Delinquency 75.3
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 92
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 83
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 18
Housing Cost Burden 70.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 83
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 82
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 50
Homeownership Rate 77
Rent-to-Income Ratio 62
Income & Poverty 62.9
Poverty Rate 60
Income vs. State Median 61
Child Poverty Rate 67
Employment & Wages 54.9
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 65
Business Formation Rate 58

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Brown County
Brown County, TX 71.1 Serious —
McCulloch County, TX 71.5 Serious +0.4
Coleman County, TX 64.2 Elevated -6.9
Eastland County, TX 62.7 Elevated -8.4
San Saba County, TX 59.7 Elevated -11.4
Comanche County, TX 55.6 Elevated -15.5
Mills County, TX 55.3 Elevated -15.8
Callahan County, TX 54.7 Elevated -16.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Brown County
Tyler County, TX 71.0 Serious -0.0
Grady County, GA 71.0 Serious -0.0
Worth County, GA 71.1 Serious +0.0
Jones County, TX 71.1 Serious +0.0
Bradford County, FL 71.0 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Brown County

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 Brown 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 Brown County, Texas?

    Brown County has a County Distress Index score of 71.1 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 159th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 33rd in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Brown County?

    The primary driver of distress in Brown County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 91.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Brown County compare to neighboring counties?

    Brown County (71.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: McCulloch County, TX (71.5); Coleman County, TX (64.2); Eastland County, TX (62.7).

  • 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 Brown County?

    Brown County, Texas has a population of approximately 38,709 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.