Starr County, Texas
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Starr County. Population: 65,934 (mid).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Starr County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 79.2 — 9th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Texas, it ranks 1st of 254 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Starr County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Income & Poverty
Primary DriverEmployment & Wages
Community Vulnerability
Housing Cost Burden
Debt & Delinquency
How Starr County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starr County, TX | 79.2 | Serious Stress | — |
| Brooks County, TX | 76.2 | Serious Stress | -2.9 |
| Zapata County, TX | 75.7 | Serious Stress | -3.5 |
| Hidalgo County, TX | 72.4 | Serious Stress | -6.8 |
| Jim Hogg County, TX | 72.4 | Serious Stress | -6.8 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (mid) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dougherty County, GA | 79.0 | Serious Stress | -0.1 |
| Richmond County, GA | 78.6 | Serious Stress | -0.6 |
| Robeson County, NC | 76.3 | Serious Stress | -2.9 |
| McKinley County, NM | 76.1 | Serious Stress | -3.0 |
| Bibb County, GA | 76.1 | Serious Stress | -3.1 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Starr County as a CSV file.
Resources
Starr County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Starr County, Texas?
Starr County has a County Distress Index score of 79.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 9th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Texas out of 254 counties.
What drives financial distress in Starr County?
The primary driver of distress in Starr County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 98.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Starr County compare to neighboring counties?
Starr County (79.2) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Brooks County, TX (76.2); Zapata County, TX (75.7); Hidalgo County, TX (72.4).
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 Starr County?
Starr County, Texas has a population of approximately 65,934 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.