About one in three people in Hudspeth County, Texas, lives below the poverty line
In Hudspeth County, 30.2% of people lived below the poverty line (Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024). That is higher than in 98% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 69% of U.S. counties.
What drives Hudspeth County's score
In Hudspeth County, income and the safety net weighs most: the score for income and the safety net is 94.0. About one in four people (27.6%, 2020 to 2024) has a disability, a higher share than in 95% of U.S. counties. Late payments on loans come next, at 85.1.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
Hudspeth County does better than most counties on two measures: adults 25 to 54 not working (11.9%, 2020 to 2024) and renters paying half their income or more in rent (6.8%, 2020 to 2024).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Hudspeth County ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 94.1 of 100
Income and safety net
Biggest factorPoverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line29.7% · 202491st percentile
- People with a disability27.6% · 2020 to 202495th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$48,355 · 202493rd percentile
- People below the poverty line30.2% · 202495th percentile
- People without health insurance31.4% · 2020 to 202495th percentile
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- 85.1 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behindnot published for this county; scored at the state median · August 202573rd percentile
- People with a credit card behind9.6% · August 202593rd percentile
- People with a subprime credit score34.9% · Q4 202587th percentile
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- 54.4 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector45.4% · August 202595th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people58 · 202513th percentile
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- 45.0 of 100
Housing costs
HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income25.2% · fiscal year 202784th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent6.8% · 2020 to 20245th percentile
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- 28.0 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working11.9% · 2020 to 20245th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average4.0% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202650th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; 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 Aug 2026.
Where the money in Hudspeth County comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Hudspeth County
Texas
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Hudspeth County in 2024, pay from work was 56 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 11 cents. Benefit checks were 33 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 8 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In Hudspeth County, benefit checks rose from 8 to 33 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Hudspeth County, Texas: 32.5% and 56.3% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 32.5% of all personal income in Hudspeth County, Texas (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
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 Hudspeth County, 10.9% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Hudspeth County has changed
The number of people living in Hudspeth County grew by about 43% between 1969 and 2024, from 2,524 to 3,608. The number of jobs located there more than doubled from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment rose from 2.7% in 1990 to 4.0% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 2,524 | 2024 3,608 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 641 | 2024 1,282 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 2.7% | 2025 4.0% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 33.6% | 2024 30.2% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $16,564 | 2024 $48,355 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 8.1% | 2024 32.5% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in Hudspeth County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 1950 Census count of 4,298. The 2020 Census counted 3,202, 74% of the peak. Census Bureau
1858
Fort Quitman established for protection of travelers. Wikipedia
1917
Formed in 1917 from El Paso County. Wikipedia
1992
Sewage sludge dump operated near Sierra Blanca discontinued after local complaints. Wikipedia
1992
County accepted over 200 tons per day of treated sewage from New York City. Wikipedia
2017
Hail: $2 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1966
13 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Hudspeth County, 2 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Hudspeth County beside its neighbors
Of the four counties that border Hudspeth County, in Texas and New Mexico, two score higher. Of the group, Hudspeth County gets the largest share of its income from benefit checks (32.5%).
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso County, TX | 89 | 18.1% | 24.6% |
| Otero County, NM | 75 | 19.3% | 30.7% |
| Hudspeth County, TX | 69 | 30.2% | 32.5% |
| Culberson County, TX | 68 | 18.2% | 16.0% |
| Jeff Davis County, TX | 57 | 12.8% | 25.2% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 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 Hudspeth County the poorest county in Texas?
No, Hudspeth County's poverty rate was 30.2% in 2024, 4th 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, Hudspeth County ranks 113th of 254 in the state.
Hudspeth County in photographs
Places in Hudspeth County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
The Hudspeth County, Texas courthouse in Sierra Blanca, Texas, United States.
Hudspeth County, Texas: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Hudspeth County, Texas?
30.2% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in three people. Among children it was 29.7%.
Is Hudspeth County the poorest county in Texas?
No, Hudspeth County's poverty rate was 30.2% in 2024, 4th 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, Hudspeth County ranks 113th of 254 in the state.
What is the population of Hudspeth County, Texas?
About 3,608 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 3,202, 74% of the county's peak of 4,298 in 1950.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Hudspeth County
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
Legal aid
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Lone Star Legal Aid
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,313 approved agencies 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 Hudspeth County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Hudspeth County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.