About three in ten people with a credit file in Galveston County, Texas, have unpaid debt sent to a collector
In Galveston County, 30.4% of people with a credit file had unpaid debt sent to a collector. That is higher than in 74% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 65% of U.S. counties.
What drives Galveston County's score
In Galveston County, housing costs weigh most: the score for housing costs is 73.5. About three in ten renters (28.8%, 2020 to 2024) pay half their income or more in rent, a higher share than in 95% of U.S. counties. Jobs come next, at 61.3.
The County Distress Index looks at five parts of household money trouble in Galveston County: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each part is scored from 0 to 100, and a higher score means worse off than other counties.
Galveston County does better than most counties on two measures: median household income ($86,354, 2024) and people with a disability (13.6%, 2020 to 2024).
A longer bar means more trouble. See how the county score works.
- 73.5 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorRenters, 2020–24 Census survey; HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent28.8% · 2020 to 202495th percentile
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income20.8% · fiscal year 202751st percentile
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- 61.3 of 100
Jobs
Unemployment through Sep 2026; adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey
- Unemployment rate, average over the latest year4.7% · Oct 2025 to Sep 202671st percentile
- Adults 25 to 54 not working20.9% · 2020 to 202450th percentile
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- 59.8 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector30.4% · August 202574th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people116.4 · 202544th percentile
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- 58.9 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, second quarter of 2026
- People with a credit card behind6.2% · August 202562nd percentile
- People with a car or retail loan behind5.9% · August 202560th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score41.4% · second quarter of 202654th percentile
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- 44.0 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- People below the poverty line12.6% · 202445th percentile
- Children below the poverty line16.9% · 202448th percentile
- People with a disability13.6% · 2020 to 202427th percentile
- People without health insurance13.6% · 2020 to 202485th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$86,354 · 202413th percentile
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Sources: Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and Census income; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Sep 2026.
Where the money in Galveston County comes from
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Galveston County, 15.8% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally that year.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Galveston County
Texas
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
Benefit checks' share of income in Galveston County rose most in two steps: 10.8% in 1989 to 13.1% in 1994; 16.0% in 2019 to 18.3% in 2024.
In Galveston County, benefit checks' share of income has tripled since 1969, reaching 18.3% in 2024, but pay from work still brings in more than three times as much as benefit checks
In Galveston County, Texas, benefit checks' share of income tripled from 1969 to 2024, reaching 18.3%; pay from work is plotted alongside. Every fifth year and 2024 are shown.
- Benefit checks
- Pay from work
The share of households in Galveston County getting SNAP food aid had its largest rise, from 9.7% in 2011 to 10.6% in 2012.
The share of households in Galveston County getting SNAP food aid was at its highest on the chart in 2017 and has since fallen to 10.5%
Low on the chart: 8.8% in 2009. Households getting SNAP, every year; each bar is a five-year survey estimate ending that year, so neighboring bars share most of their data, Galveston County, Texas.
How Galveston County has changed
Galveston County's population doubled to 367,407, the highest on the chart
Biggest rise: 2014 to 2019, reaching 347,347. Residents, yearly estimate, every fifth year and 2024, Galveston County, Texas.
The number of jobs located in Galveston County had its largest rise in the last span, from 106,289 in 2020 to 126,458 in 2025.
The number of jobs located in Galveston County nearly doubled from 1990 to 2025, reaching 126,458, with no dip in any year shown
Smallest rise: 2000 to 2005, reaching 87,411. Yearly average of jobs covered by unemployment insurance, every fifth year and 2025, Galveston County, Texas.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 7.1% | 2025 4.4% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 13.4% | 2024 12.6% |
| Median household incomeCensus SAIPE | 1989 $28,051 | 2024 $86,354 |
The table uses 4.4% for 2025; the score uses 4.7% for the latest year (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026), both from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices.
Dated events in Galveston County's history
1838
Galveston County was formally established on May 15, 1838. Wikipedia
1950
Gambling and entertainment empire destroyed in 1950s when state law enforcement dismantled casinos and speakeasies; Galveston economy crashed. Wikipedia
1961
A tornado in September 1961 killed eight people. NOAA Storm Events Database
1981
A tornado in August 1981 did $25 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
1993
A thunderstorm in May 1993 did $50 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2017
A flash flood in August 2017 did $10 billion in property damage and killed three people. NOAA Storm Events Database
2020
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 350,682, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
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Since 1973
31 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Galveston County, 6 of them for flooding. FEMA
Galveston County beside its neighbors
Of the three counties that border Galveston County, one scores higher. Of the group, Galveston County gets the largest share of its income from benefit checks (18.3%).
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harris County, TX | 83 | 16.7% | 12.1% |
| Galveston County, TX | 65 | 12.6% | 18.3% |
| Brazoria County, TX | 47 | 9.1% | 16.9% |
| Chambers County, TX | 45 | 7.9% | 13.4% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Sep 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Galveston County the poorest county in Texas?
No, Galveston County's poverty rate was 12.6% in 2024, 179th highest of 254 in Texas (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Starr County, at 35.4%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Galveston County ranks 130th of 254 in the state.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Galveston County
Housing counselors approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development work at nonprofit agencies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau describes free foreclosure-avoidance counseling, including help with mortgage-company conversations and available options Source CFPB.
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Lone Star Legal Aid
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Our help directory lists 1,010 agencies approved for foreclosure counseling, by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Galveston County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Sep 2026, built from Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. The County Distress Index is American Default Research's own calculation; the Urban Institute does not produce or endorse it. Our methodology
- Urban Institute · Debt in America Breno Braga, Signe-Mary McKernan, Samantha Atherton, and Kassandra Martinchek, "Debt in America," last updated November 20, 2025, https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/debt-america-2025. Licensed under ODC-By 1.0.
- Rent on a two-bedroom and household income The rent share compares HUD fair market rent for fiscal year 2027 with Census Bureau median household income for 2024. The page calls this the typical household's income.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Galveston County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.