Rusk County, Texas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.1 | 53,079 people · 125th most distressed in Texas
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Rusk County, TX registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.1 — 904th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Texas, it ranks 125th of 254 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Rusk County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 77.3 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 77.3
Debt in Collections 89
Medical Debt 93
Student Loan Delinquency 96
Auto Loan Delinquency 66
Credit Card Delinquency 83
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 36
Employment & Wages 66.0
Unemployment Rate 58
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 60
Business Formation Rate 80
Community Vulnerability 64.0
Uninsured Rate 85
Disability Rate 43
Housing Cost Burden 44.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 59
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 60
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 29
Homeownership Rate 19
Rent-to-Income Ratio 53
Income & Poverty 44.0
Poverty Rate 56
Income vs. State Median 30
Child Poverty Rate 46

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Rusk County
Rusk County, TX 59.1 Elevated —
Nacogdoches County, TX 71.5 Serious +12.4
Gregg County, TX 65.1 Serious +6.0
Harrison County, TX 63.7 Elevated +4.6
Shelby County, TX 61.5 Elevated +2.5
Cherokee County, TX 61.3 Elevated +2.2
Smith County, TX 57.5 Elevated -1.6
Panola County, TX 55.8 Elevated -3.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Rusk County
Payne County, OK 59.0 Elevated -0.1
Saginaw County, MI 59.2 Elevated +0.1
Wicomico County, MD 59.3 Elevated +0.2
Madison County, IN 59.3 Elevated +0.3
Grays Harbor County, WA 59.4 Elevated +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Rusk 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 Rusk 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 Rusk County, Texas?

    Rusk County has a County Distress Index score of 59.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 904th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 125th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Rusk County?

    The primary driver of distress in Rusk County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 77.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Rusk County compare to neighboring counties?

    Rusk County (59.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Nacogdoches County, TX (71.5); Gregg County, TX (65.1); Harrison County, TX (63.7).

  • 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 Rusk County?

    Rusk County, Texas has a population of approximately 53,079 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.