Hidalgo County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 72.4 | 898,471 people · 20th most distressed in Texas
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Hidalgo County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 72.4 — 119th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Texas, it ranks 20th of 254 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 5 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hidalgo County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 90.9 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 90.9
Poverty Rate 97
Income vs. State Median 78
Child Poverty Rate 97
Employment & Wages 74.1
Unemployment Rate 94
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 78
Business Formation Rate 50
Housing Cost Burden 74.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 76
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 87
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 56
Homeownership Rate 78
Rent-to-Income Ratio 73
Debt & Delinquency 62.8
Debt in Collections 98
Medical Debt 95
Student Loan Delinquency 3
Auto Loan Delinquency 89
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 7
Community Vulnerability 60.0
Uninsured Rate 100
Disability Rate 20

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Hidalgo County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hidalgo County
Hidalgo County, TX 72.4 Serious —
Starr County, TX 79.2 Serious +6.8
Brooks County, TX 76.2 Serious +3.8
Willacy County, TX 72.4 Serious 0.0
Cameron County, TX 72.3 Serious -0.0
Kenedy County, TX 54.7 Elevated -17.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hidalgo County
Cameron County, TX 72.3 Serious -0.0
Webb County, TX 72.6 Serious +0.2
Merced County, CA 71.7 Serious -0.7
El Paso County, TX 71.6 Serious -0.7
Clayton County, GA 71.5 Serious -0.9

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hidalgo County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Hidalgo County.

AFFORDABLE HOMES OF SOUTH TEXAS, INC.
McAllen
956-687-6263 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing

See all counselors in Texas →

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 Hidalgo 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 Hidalgo County, Texas?

    Hidalgo County has a County Distress Index score of 72.4 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 119th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 20th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hidalgo County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hidalgo County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 90.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Hidalgo County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hidalgo County (72.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Starr County, TX (79.2); Brooks County, TX (76.2); Willacy County, TX (72.4).

  • 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 Hidalgo County?

    Hidalgo County, Texas has a population of approximately 898,471 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.