Newton County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 65.8 | 12,039 people · 73rd most distressed in Texas
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Newton County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 65.8 — 450th 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 73rd of 254 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Newton County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 82.9 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 82.9
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 84
Child Poverty Rate 84
Employment & Wages 77.4
Unemployment Rate 93
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 49
Business Formation Rate 91
Community Vulnerability 71.8
Uninsured Rate 95
Disability Rate 49
Debt & Delinquency 71.7
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 95
Student Loan Delinquency 80
Auto Loan Delinquency 70
Credit Card Delinquency 81
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 10
Housing Cost Burden 25.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 7
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 12
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 31
Homeownership Rate 12
Rent-to-Income Ratio 65

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Newton County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Newton County
Newton County, TX 65.8 Serious —
Vernon Parish, LA 63.6 Elevated -2.2
Orange County, TX 60.9 Elevated -5.0
Sabine County, TX 60.7 Elevated -5.2
Jasper County, TX 59.4 Elevated -6.5
Sabine Parish, LA 58.7 Elevated -7.2
Calcasieu Parish, LA 58.2 Elevated -7.7
Beauregard Parish, LA 51.4 Elevated -14.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Newton County
Sierra County, NM 65.8 Serious 0.0
Craig County, OK 65.9 Serious +0.0
Evans County, GA 65.8 Serious -0.0
Halifax County, VA 65.8 Serious -0.1
DeWitt County, TX 65.9 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Newton County

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 Newton 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Newton County, Texas?

    Newton County has a County Distress Index score of 65.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 450th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 73rd in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Newton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Newton County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 82.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Newton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Newton County (65.8) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Vernon Parish, LA (63.6); Orange County, TX (60.9); Sabine County, TX (60.7).

  • 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 Newton County?

    Newton County, Texas has a population of approximately 12,039 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.