Smith County, Texas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.5 | 245,209 people · 136th most distressed in Texas

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Smith County, TX registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.5 — 1041st 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 136th of 254 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Smith County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 71.2 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 71.2
Debt in Collections 79
Medical Debt 67
Student Loan Delinquency 82
Auto Loan Delinquency 69
Credit Card Delinquency 74
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 55
Housing Cost Burden 67.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 71
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 60
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 70
Homeownership Rate 73
Rent-to-Income Ratio 63
Community Vulnerability 58.1
Uninsured Rate 92
Disability Rate 24
Employment & Wages 53.3
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 71
Business Formation Rate 23
Income & Poverty 37.3
Poverty Rate 47
Income vs. State Median 19
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 Smith County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Smith County
Smith County, TX 57.5 Elevated
Henderson County, TX 68.8 Serious +11.4
Gregg County, TX 65.1 Serious +7.6
Upshur County, TX 63.4 Elevated +5.9
Cherokee County, TX 61.3 Elevated +3.9
Wood County, TX 60.5 Elevated +3.0
Rusk County, TX 59.1 Elevated +1.6
Van Zandt County, TX 55.8 Elevated -1.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Smith County
Caldwell County, NC 57.5 Elevated +0.0
Howard County, IN 57.5 Elevated +0.0
Aroostook County, ME 57.4 Elevated -0.1
Pulaski County, KY 57.4 Elevated -0.1
Anderson County, TN 57.3 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Smith County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Texas — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Smith County residents at no cost.

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.