Mitchell County, Texas
More than double the national median for uninsured rate.
Main Findings
Mitchell County, Texas ranks 1,008th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 20% of residents lack health insurance — more than double the national median of 8%. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
- 1,008th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 60.7 · moderate-high county distress, 134th in Texas.
- 20% of residents lack health insurance (U.S. median 8%). Uninsured rate at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 25% — national median 21%, ranked at the 78th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Auto loan delinquency at 11% — national median 5%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Debt in collections at 39% — national median 23%, ranked at the 93rd percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
Unemployment is 3%, near the national median of 4%, while auto loan delinquency runs at the 95th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 30-point drop to Coke County marks where the Texas distress corridor ends.
Mitchell County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to Urban Institute Debt in America (2025), Mitchell County's credit card delinquency indicator is at the 7th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Delinquency domain at or above the 92nd percentile. The gap stands out against auto loan delinquency and subprime credit share. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Colorado City.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Mitchell County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Mitchell County's value shown alongside TX's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Mitchell | TX median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 65 · Rank 1,052 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 11% | 7% | 5% | 95th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 7% | 5% | 7th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 38% | 32% | 23% | 92nd | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 49 · Rank 1,578 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 39% | 35% | 23% | 93rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 22 | 78 | 126 | 5th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 75 · Rank 543 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 25% | 22% | 21% | 78th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 22% | 17% | 18% | 73rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 34 · Rank 2,026 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 4% | 4% | 34th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 80 · Rank 363 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 22% | 22% | 18% | 72nd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 18% | 16% | 16% | 68th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 21% | 15% | 14% | 89th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 20% | 17% | 8% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Mitchell County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 131-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
COLORADO CITY, Texas — Mitchell County ranks 1,008th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 60.7 out of 100 gives Mitchell a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,007 counties rank more distressed. Within Texas, Mitchell ranks 134th of 254 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies safety net & buffer as the primary driver in Mitchell. 20% of residents lack health insurance — more than double the national median of 8%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mitchell County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Mitchell County's distress score?
How does Mitchell County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Mitchell County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →