Fayette County, Texas

County Distress Index: Normal · 39.0 | 25,474 people · 236th most distressed in Texas
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Fayette County, TX falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 39.0 — 2409th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where debt and delinquency levels sit above the national average. Within Texas, it ranks 236th of 254 counties. It scores lower than all 8 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Fayette County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 57.8 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 57.8
Debt in Collections 54
Medical Debt 75
Student Loan Delinquency 58
Auto Loan Delinquency 75
Credit Card Delinquency 68
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 16
Community Vulnerability 54.9
Uninsured Rate 67
Disability Rate 43
Employment & Wages 32.6
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 21
Business Formation Rate 35
Housing Cost Burden 30.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 47
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 49
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 22
Homeownership Rate 20
Rent-to-Income Ratio 12
Income & Poverty 19.7
Poverty Rate 15
Income vs. State Median 19
Child Poverty Rate 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Fayette County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Fayette County
Fayette County, TX 39.0 Normal —
Caldwell County, TX 63.6 Elevated +24.5
Gonzales County, TX 61.2 Elevated +22.1
Washington County, TX 55.4 Elevated +16.3
Bastrop County, TX 53.1 Elevated +14.1
Colorado County, TX 52.5 Elevated +13.4
Austin County, TX 48.1 Normal +9.0
Lee County, TX 47.8 Normal +8.8
Lavaca County, TX 40.0 Normal +0.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Fayette County
Daviess County, IN 39.0 Normal 0.0
Dawson County, NE 39.0 Normal -0.0
Carbon County, WY 39.0 Normal -0.0
Cooper County, MO 39.1 Normal +0.1
Shelby County, OH 39.0 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Fayette 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 Fayette 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 Fayette County, Texas?

    Fayette County has a County Distress Index score of 39.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,409th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 236th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Fayette County?

    The primary driver of distress in Fayette County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 57.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Fayette County compare to neighboring counties?

    Fayette County (39.0) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Caldwell County, TX (63.6); Gonzales County, TX (61.2); Washington County, TX (55.4).

  • 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 Fayette County?

    Fayette County, Texas has a population of approximately 25,474 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.