Galveston County, Texas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.8 | 361,744 people · 151st most distressed in Texas
American Default Research

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Galveston County, TX registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.8 — 1157th 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 151st of 254 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Galveston County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 81.2 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 81.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 91
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 94
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 77
Homeownership Rate 79
Rent-to-Income Ratio 65
Debt & Delinquency 61.4
Debt in Collections 75
Medical Debt 52
Student Loan Delinquency 75
Auto Loan Delinquency 60
Credit Card Delinquency 62
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 45
Employment & Wages 57.2
Unemployment Rate 64
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 80
Business Formation Rate 28
Community Vulnerability 54.0
Uninsured Rate 84
Disability Rate 24
Income & Poverty 25.0
Poverty Rate 33
Income vs. State Median 7
Child Poverty Rate 34

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Galveston County
Galveston County, TX 55.8 Elevated —
Harris County, TX 59.2 Elevated +3.4
Brazoria County, TX 44.9 Normal -10.9
Chambers County, TX 38.7 Normal -17.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Galveston County
San Joaquin County, CA 55.9 Elevated +0.1
Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, CT 55.6 Elevated -0.1
Pinal County, AZ 55.9 Elevated +0.2
Henry County, GA 56.2 Elevated +0.4
Pulaski County, AR 55.2 Elevated -0.6

Download Data

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

Find Help in Galveston 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 Galveston 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Texas →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Galveston County has a County Distress Index score of 55.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,157th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 151st in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Galveston County?

    The primary driver of distress in Galveston County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 81.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Galveston County compare to neighboring counties?

    Galveston County (55.8) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Harris County, TX (59.2); Brazoria County, TX (44.9); Chambers County, TX (38.7).

  • 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 Galveston County?

    Galveston County, Texas has a population of approximately 361,744 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.