Runnels County, Texas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.1 | 9,868 people · 146th most distressed in Texas
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Runnels County, TX registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.1 — 1133rd 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 146th of 254 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Runnels County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 74.3 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 74.3
Uninsured Rate 88
Disability Rate 61
Debt & Delinquency 63.9
Debt in Collections 87
Medical Debt 83
Student Loan Delinquency 80
Auto Loan Delinquency 34
Credit Card Delinquency 47
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 52
Income & Poverty 60.9
Poverty Rate 63
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 75
Employment & Wages 51.0
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 53
Business Formation Rate 78
Housing Cost Burden 30.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 7
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 15
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 35
Homeownership Rate 49
Rent-to-Income Ratio 48

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Runnels County
Runnels County, TX 56.1 Elevated —
Nolan County, TX 68.9 Serious +12.7
Coleman County, TX 64.2 Elevated +8.1
Taylor County, TX 60.4 Elevated +4.3
Tom Green County, TX 60.0 Elevated +3.9
Concho County, TX 59.3 Elevated +3.2
Coke County, TX 48.9 Normal -7.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Runnels County
Pershing County, NV 56.1 Elevated -0.0
Van Buren County, TN 56.1 Elevated -0.1
Throckmorton County, TX 56.2 Elevated +0.1
Nome Census Area, AK 56.3 Elevated +0.2
Cimarron County, OK 56.3 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Runnels 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 Runnels 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Runnels County has a County Distress Index score of 56.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,133rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 146th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Runnels County?

    The primary driver of distress in Runnels County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 74.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Runnels County compare to neighboring counties?

    Runnels County (56.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Nolan County, TX (68.9); Coleman County, TX (64.2); Taylor County, TX (60.4).

  • 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 Runnels County?

    Runnels County, Texas has a population of approximately 9,868 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.