#2,091 Texas · 2026

Roberts County, Texas

Second-least distressed fifth 2,091st of 3,144 counties nationally · 840 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
7% Roberts residents
vs.
5% U.S. median

Above the national median for auto loan delinquency.

Urban Institute (2024)

Main Findings

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Roberts County, Texas ranks 2,091st most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Roberts sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 2,091st of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-least distressed fifth, 224th in Texas.
  • 7% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Auto loan delinquency at the 74th percentile nationally.
  • Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 58th percentile.
  • Debt in collections at 35% — national median 23%, ranked at the 86th percentile.
  • Uninsured rate at 13% — national median 8%, ranked at the 80th percentile.
Distinctive Signals
Boundary Signal

Neighbors span four CDI distress fifths. The 32-point drop to Lipscomb County marks where the Texas Panhandle distress corridor ends.

County Distress Index cluster map. Roberts County, Texas and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Roberts and its 7 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Roberts County ranks 2,091st of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 21 words

"Roberts 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 Roberts County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Roberts 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 Roberts County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Roberts TX median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 65 · Rank 1,048 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 7% 7% 5% 74th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 7% 7% 5% 73rd Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 23% 32% 23% 47th Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 55 · Rank 1,301 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 35% 35% 23% 86th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 78 78 126 25th US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 5 · Rank 3,118 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 16% 22% 21% 5th HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 0% 17% 18% 5th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 58 · Rank 1,347 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 4% 4% 4% 58th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 24 · Rank 2,615 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 11% 22% 18% 16th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 9% 16% 16% 5th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 9% 15% 14% 13th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 16% 26% 27% 9th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 13% 17% 8% 80th 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 65
Weight 20% · Rank 1,048 of 3,144
Labor 58
Weight 20% · Rank 1,347 of 3,144
Default & Legal 55
Weight 20% · Rank 1,301 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 24
Weight 20% · Rank 2,615 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 5
Weight 20% · Rank 3,118 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 Roberts 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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MIAMI, Texas — Roberts County ranks 2,091st 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 42 out of 100 places Roberts in the second-least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,090 counties rank more distressed. Within Texas, Roberts ranks 224th 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 Roberts sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"Roberts 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 Roberts County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Roberts County scores 42 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the second-least distressed fifth. It ranks 2,091st of 3,144 U.S. counties and 224th of 254 Texas counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Roberts County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Delinquency, at a domain score of 65. Auto loan delinquency ranks at the 74th percentile nationally.

How does Roberts County compare to its neighbors?

Roberts County's neighbors span 4 CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Gray County (58.66, Second-most distressed fifth). Lowest: Lipscomb County (26.50, 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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