Ellis County, Texas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.1 | 222,829 people · 177th most distressed in Texas
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Ellis County, TX registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.1 — 1447th 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 177th of 254 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ellis County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 76.2 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 76.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 91
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 83
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 84
Homeownership Rate 40
Rent-to-Income Ratio 83
Debt & Delinquency 74.1
Debt in Collections 79
Medical Debt 75
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 65
Credit Card Delinquency 72
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 82
Community Vulnerability 53.1
Uninsured Rate 90
Disability Rate 16
Employment & Wages 51.8
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 96
Business Formation Rate 14
Income & Poverty 5.6
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 4
Child Poverty Rate 8

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ellis County
Ellis County, TX 52.1 Elevated —
Henderson County, TX 68.8 Serious +16.7
Navarro County, TX 67.0 Serious +14.9
Dallas County, TX 60.3 Elevated +8.2
Hill County, TX 58.6 Elevated +6.4
Tarrant County, TX 56.6 Elevated +4.4
Kaufman County, TX 55.1 Elevated +3.0
Johnson County, TX 54.2 Elevated +2.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ellis County
Pike County, PA 52.2 Elevated +0.0
Cambria County, PA 52.2 Elevated +0.0
Aiken County, SC 52.2 Elevated +0.0
Berkshire County, MA 52.1 Elevated -0.1
Jackson County, MI 52.1 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Ellis 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 Ellis 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Ellis County has a County Distress Index score of 52.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,447th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 177th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ellis County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ellis County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 76.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Ellis County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ellis County (52.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Henderson County, TX (68.8); Navarro County, TX (67.0); Dallas County, TX (60.3).

  • 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 Ellis County?

    Ellis County, Texas has a population of approximately 222,829 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.