El Paso County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 71.6 | 869,880 people · 27th most distressed in Texas

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El Paso County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 71.6 — 140th 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 27th of 254 counties. It scores higher than all 3 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. El Paso County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 81.8 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 81.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 89
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 81
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 76
Homeownership Rate 87
Rent-to-Income Ratio 76
Debt & Delinquency 78.0
Debt in Collections 82
Medical Debt 79
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 80
Credit Card Delinquency 81
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 73
Income & Poverty 71.3
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 58
Child Poverty Rate 76
Community Vulnerability 64.5
Uninsured Rate 98
Disability Rate 31
Employment & Wages 62.5
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 74
Business Formation Rate 53

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

Neighbors and Peers

How El Paso County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. El Paso County
El Paso County, TX 71.6 Serious
Hudspeth County, TX 67.3 Serious -4.4
Doña Ana County, NM 63.4 Elevated -8.2
Otero County, NM 63.4 Elevated -8.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. El Paso County
Merced County, CA 71.7 Serious +0.1
Clayton County, GA 71.5 Serious -0.1
Baltimore city, MD 71.5 Serious -0.2
Cameron County, TX 72.3 Serious +0.7
Hidalgo County, TX 72.4 Serious +0.7

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for El Paso County as a CSV file.

Find Help in El Paso County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near El Paso County.

ADULTS AND YOUTH UNITED DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION INC
San Elizario
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/RehabPre-Purchase
EL PASO COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM, PROJECT BRAVO, INC.
El Paso
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
GECU FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
El Paso
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing

Find an Attorney

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

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving El Paso County residents at no cost.

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.

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