#1,991 Texas · 2026

Moore County, Texas

Second-least distressed fifth 1,991st of 3,144 counties nationally · 21,190 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
37% Moore residents
vs.
23% U.S. median

Above the national median for subprime credit share.

Urban Institute (2024)

Main Findings

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Moore County, Texas ranks 1,991st most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Moore sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 1,991st of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-least distressed fifth, 214th in Texas.
  • 37% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 91st percentile nationally.
  • Uninsured rate at 20% — national median 8%, ranked at the 96th percentile.
  • Debt in collections at 32% — national median 23%, ranked at the 79th percentile.
  • Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 23 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
Distinctive Signals
Labor–Credit Divergence

Unemployment is 3%, near the national median of 4%, while subprime credit share runs at the 91st percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.

Boundary Signal

Neighbors span four CDI distress fifths. The 50-point drop to Hartley County marks where the Texas distress corridor ends.

County Distress Index cluster map. Moore County, Texas and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Moore and its 6 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Moore County ranks 1,991st of 3,144. American Default Research
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"Moore County ranks in the second-least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 25 words

"The CDI places this county in the second-least distressed fifth nationally. The rank still belongs in context with state position and the highest-scoring local domain."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Moore County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Moore County's value shown alongside TX's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is Moore County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Moore TX median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 86 · Rank 345 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 7% 7% 5% 78th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 9% 7% 5% 89th Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 37% 32% 23% 91st Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 42 · Rank 1,911 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 32% 35% 23% 79th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 38 78 126 5th US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 23 · Rank 2,666 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 19% 22% 21% 33rd HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 10% 17% 18% 13th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 21 · Rank 2,529 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 3% 4% 4% 21st BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 44 · Rank 1,783 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 21% 22% 18% 64th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 10% 16% 16% 7th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 14% 15% 14% 49th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 14% 26% 27% 5th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 20% 17% 8% 96th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Delinquency Primary driver 86
Weight 20% · Rank 345 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 44
Weight 20% · Rank 1,783 of 3,144
Default & Legal 42
Weight 20% · Rank 1,911 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 23
Weight 20% · Rank 2,666 of 3,144
Labor 21
Weight 20% · Rank 2,529 of 3,144

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), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite Moore County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
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DUMAS, Texas — Moore County ranks 1,991st 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 43 out of 100 places Moore in the second-least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,990 counties rank more distressed. Within Texas, Moore ranks 214th of 254 counties.

The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Moore sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"Moore County ranks in the second-least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Moore County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Moore County scores 43 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the second-least distressed fifth. It ranks 1,991st of 3,144 U.S. counties and 214th of 254 Texas counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Moore County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Delinquency, at a domain score of 86. Subprime credit share ranks at the 91st percentile nationally.

How does Moore County compare to its neighbors?

Moore County's neighbors span 4 CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Potter County (72.15, Most distressed fifth). Lowest: Hartley County (22.36, Least distressed fifth).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 16 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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