Castro County, Texas
Above the national median for subprime credit share.
Main Findings
Castro County, Texas ranks 1,736th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 33% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
- 1,736th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 47.5 · moderate-low county distress, 203rd in Texas.
- 33% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 83rd percentile nationally. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025).
- Uninsured rate at 21% — national median 8%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Debt in collections at 32% — national median 23%, ranked at the 79th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 23% — national median 21%, ranked at the 66th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
Neighbors span five CDI score labels. The 32-point drop to Randall County marks where the Texas distress corridor ends.
Castro County has a moderate-low county distress score. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-low county distress label. The state rank and highest-scoring local domain add context that the composite alone cannot carry. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Castro County's disability rate indicator is at the 5th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 68th percentile. The gap stands out against uninsured rate. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Dimmitt.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Castro County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Castro County's value shown alongside TX's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Castro | TX median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 65 · Rank 1,058 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 7% | 5% | 52nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 7% | 5% | 58th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 33% | 32% | 23% | 83rd | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 52 · Rank 1,452 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 32% | 35% | 23% | 79th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 78 | 78 | 126 | 25th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 38 · Rank 2,076 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 23% | 22% | 21% | 66th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 9% | 17% | 18% | 10th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 19 · Rank 2,493 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 4% | 4% | 19th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 64 · Rank 1,038 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 22% | 22% | 18% | 68th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 8% | 16% | 16% | 5th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 18% | 15% | 14% | 77th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 21% | 17% | 8% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Castro County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 128-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
DIMMITT, Texas — Castro County ranks 1,736th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 47.5 out of 100 gives Castro a moderate-low county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,735 counties rank more distressed. Within Texas, Castro ranks 203rd of 254 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies delinquency as the primary driver in Castro. 33% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Castro County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Castro County's distress score?
How does Castro County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Castro County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →