#2,018 Texas · 2026

Ochiltree County, Texas

Normal 2,018th of 3,144 counties nationally · 9,704 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
22% Ochiltree residents
vs.
8% U.S. median

More than double the national median for uninsured rate.

Census ACS 5-yr (2023)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 26 words · paste-ready

Ochiltree County, Texas ranks 2,018th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Ochiltree sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 2,018th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Normal zone, 241st in Texas.
  • 22% of residents lack health insurance (U.S. median 8%). Uninsured rate at the 95th percentile nationally.
  • Homeownership rate at 69% — national median 74%, ranked at the 74th percentile.
  • House price change (yoy) at 0% — national median 4%, ranked at the 85th percentile.
  • Structural Poverty domain score 24 — weight 13.6% of the CDI composite.
Distinctive Signals
Labor–Credit Divergence

Unemployment is 3%, near the national median of 4%, while uninsured rate runs at the 95th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.

Boundary Signal

Neighbors span three CDI zones. The 24-point drop to Beaver County, OK marks a cross-border distress gradient.

County Distress Index cluster map. Ochiltree County, Texas and its neighbors colored by distress zone.
Ochiltree and its 5 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Ochiltree County ranks 2,018th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 18 words

"Ochiltree County sits at the national median. The composition of its distress matters more than the composite score."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for voice-y features 19 words

"Normal-zone counties are the national median. The interesting signal here is which domain is moving fastest, up or down."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

Reporter's Notes

Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.

Data anomaly
Auto loan delinquency sits well below the rest of the Consumer Credit Distress domain — the one indicator that doesn't fit

Ochiltree County's auto loan delinquency indicator is at the 15th percentile — while every other indicator in the Consumer Credit Distress domain sits at or above the 46th percentile. The gap stands out against uninsured rate. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Perryton.

The Indicators Behind Ochiltree County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Ochiltree 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 Ochiltree County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Ochiltree TX median U.S. median Pctile Source
Consumer Credit Distress — domain score 55 · Rank 1,408 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 22% 35% 23% 46th Urban Institute (2024)
Medical debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have medical debt in collections 6% 9% 4% 69th Urban Institute (2024)
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 3% 7% 5% 15th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 6% 7% 5% 64th Urban Institute (2024)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 22% 17% 8% 95th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 27% 32% 23% 65th Urban Institute (2024)
Housing Cost Burden — domain score 48 · Rank 1,620 of 3,144
Rent burden (30%+) Share of renter households paying 30%+ of income on rent 36% 37% 38% 44th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 16% 17% 18% 40th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Owner housing burden Share of owner households paying 30%+ of income on housing 24% 23% 24% 52nd Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Homeownership rate Share of occupied housing units that are owner-occupied 69% 74% 74% 74th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Structural Poverty — domain score 24 · Rank 2,620 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 3% 4% 4% 16th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 11% 15% 14% 30th Census SAIPE (2023)
Household income relative to state Median household income as share of state median 1.19× 1.00× 1.00× 18th Census SAIPE (2023)
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 15% 22% 18% 37th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 15% 16% 16% 46th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 14% 26% 27% 6th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Legal Distress — domain score 6 · Rank 2,944 of 3,144
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 41 78 126 6th US Courts F-5A (2025)
Economic Vitality — domain score 28 · Rank 2,742 of 3,144
Wage-to-rent ratio Ratio of average weekly wage to fair-market rent 4.7× 4.1× 4.0× 16th BLS QCEW × HUD FMR (2024)
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 17% 22% 21% 9th HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Business formation rate New business applications per 1,000 residents 9.2 10.5 10.0 61st Census Business Formation Statistics (2024)
House price change (yoy) House price index year-over-year change 0% 2% 4% 85th FHFA HPI (2024)
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 a PCA-weighted composite of five statistically derived factors. Weights are proportional to each factor's share of explained variance across 3,144 counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 55
Weight 47.5% · Rank 1,408 of 3,144 · Pctile 55
Housing Cost Burden 48
Weight 22.2% · Rank 1,620 of 3,144 · Pctile 48
Economic Vitality 28
Weight 9.2% · Rank 2,742 of 3,144 · Pctile 13
Structural Poverty 24
Weight 13.6% · Rank 2,620 of 3,144 · Pctile 17
Legal Distress 6
Weight 7.4% · Rank 2,944 of 3,144 · Pctile 6

Methodology

The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 represents the national county median; higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from 21 indicators grouped into five statistically derived factors via principal component analysis (PCA); factor weights are proportional to each factor's share of explained variance (shown in the Five-Domain Breakdown above).

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 Ochiltree 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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PERRYTON, Texas — Ochiltree County ranks 2,018th 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 Ochiltree in the "Normal" zone. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,017 counties rank more distressed. Within Texas, Ochiltree ranks 241st of 254 counties.

The index, which draws on 21 indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Ochiltree sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"Ochiltree County sits at the national median. The composition of its distress matters more than the composite score," 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 Ochiltree County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Ochiltree County scores 43 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,018th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 241st of 254 Texas counties. A score of 50 is the national county median; higher = more distressed.

What drives Ochiltree County's distress score?

The primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress, at a domain score of 55. Uninsured rate ranks at the 95th percentile nationally.

How does Ochiltree County compare to its neighbors?

Ochiltree County's neighbors span three CDI zones. Highest-distress neighbor: Hansford County (52.34, Elevated). Lowest: Beaver County, OK (28.74, Healthy).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 21 indicators across five factors, derived via principal component analysis. Factor weights: Consumer Credit Distress 47.5%, Housing Cost Burden 22.3%, Structural Poverty 13.6%, Economic Vitality 9.2%, Legal Distress 7.4%. Data from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, and HUD. 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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