Jefferson County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.8 | 251,496 people · 66th most distressed in Texas

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Jefferson County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.8 — 389th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Texas, it ranks 66th of 254 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jefferson County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 79.6 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 79.6
Debt in Collections 94
Medical Debt 89
Student Loan Delinquency 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 82
Credit Card Delinquency 76
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 41
Income & Poverty 72.3
Poverty Rate 86
Income vs. State Median 55
Child Poverty Rate 76
Housing Cost Burden 69.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 81
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 84
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 31
Homeownership Rate 90
Rent-to-Income Ratio 61
Community Vulnerability 68.1
Uninsured Rate 97
Disability Rate 39
Employment & Wages 44.6
Unemployment Rate 89
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 39

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Jefferson County, TX 66.8 Serious
Liberty County, TX 67.5 Serious +0.7
Orange County, TX 60.9 Elevated -6.0
Hardin County, TX 55.2 Elevated -11.6
Chambers County, TX 38.7 Normal -28.1
Cameron Parish, LA 38.1 Normal -28.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Essex County, NJ 66.7 Serious -0.1
Orleans Parish, LA 66.6 Serious -0.2
Polk County, FL 66.5 Serious -0.3
Escambia County, FL 67.5 Serious +0.7
Volusia County, FL 65.8 Serious -1.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jefferson County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Jefferson County.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS
Beaumont
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/Rehab
TENDER LOVING CARE CENTER FOR CHILDREN, DBA LEGACY CDC
Port Arthur
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Purchase

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Texas — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Jefferson County residents at no cost.

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.

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