Erath County, Texas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.4 | 44,195 people · 112th most distressed in Texas
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Erath County, TX registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.4 — 807th 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 112th of 254 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Erath County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 79.5 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 79.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 98
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 59
Homeownership Rate 87
Rent-to-Income Ratio 61
Debt & Delinquency 68.8
Debt in Collections 78
Medical Debt 98
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 59
Credit Card Delinquency 63
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 41
Community Vulnerability 57.5
Uninsured Rate 91
Disability Rate 24
Income & Poverty 50.8
Poverty Rate 67
Income vs. State Median 38
Child Poverty Rate 48
Employment & Wages 45.3
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 27

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Erath County
Erath County, TX 60.4 Elevated —
Palo Pinto County, TX 69.3 Serious +8.9
Eastland County, TX 62.7 Elevated +2.3
Hamilton County, TX 59.0 Elevated -1.4
Comanche County, TX 55.6 Elevated -4.8
Bosque County, TX 51.3 Elevated -9.1
Hood County, TX 49.3 Normal -11.1
Somervell County, TX 29.0 Healthy -31.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Erath County
Rio Grande County, CO 60.4 Elevated +0.0
Jefferson County, OR 60.3 Elevated -0.0
Wyoming County, WV 60.3 Elevated -0.0
Alleghany County, NC 60.5 Elevated +0.1
Wood County, TX 60.5 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Erath 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 Erath 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 Erath County, Texas?

    Erath County has a County Distress Index score of 60.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 807th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 112th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Erath County?

    The primary driver of distress in Erath County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 79.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Erath County compare to neighboring counties?

    Erath County (60.4) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Palo Pinto County, TX (69.3); Eastland County, TX (62.7); Hamilton County, TX (59.0).

  • 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 Erath County?

    Erath County, Texas has a population of approximately 44,195 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.