Polk County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.8 | 54,186 people · 35th most distressed in Texas
American Default Research

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Polk County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.8 — 172nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Texas, it ranks 35th of 254 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Polk County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 92.1 — worse than roughly 92% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 92.1
Uninsured Rate 90
Disability Rate 94
Income & Poverty 77.8
Poverty Rate 78
Income vs. State Median 64
Child Poverty Rate 91
Debt & Delinquency 76.4
Debt in Collections 84
Medical Debt 78
Student Loan Delinquency 97
Auto Loan Delinquency 81
Credit Card Delinquency 71
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 48
Employment & Wages 56.3
Unemployment Rate 74
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 62
Business Formation Rate 33
Housing Cost Burden 51.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 61
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 53
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 41
Homeownership Rate 33
Rent-to-Income Ratio 71

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Polk County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Polk County, TX 70.8 Serious —
Trinity County, TX 74.8 Serious +4.0
Angelina County, TX 72.0 Serious +1.1
Tyler County, TX 71.0 Serious +0.2
Liberty County, TX 67.5 Serious -3.4
San Jacinto County, TX 66.0 Serious -4.9
Hardin County, TX 55.2 Elevated -15.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Imperial County, CA 70.9 Serious +0.0
Comanche County, OK 70.7 Serious -0.1
Portsmouth city, VA 70.7 Serious -0.1
Columbia County, FL 70.7 Serious -0.1
Butte County, CA 70.7 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Polk 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 Polk 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Polk County has a County Distress Index score of 70.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 172nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 35th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Polk County?

    The primary driver of distress in Polk County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 92.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Polk County compare to neighboring counties?

    Polk County (70.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Trinity County, TX (74.8); Angelina County, TX (72.0); Tyler County, TX (71.0).

  • 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 Polk County?

    Polk County, Texas has a population of approximately 54,186 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.