Stephens County, Texas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.2 | 9,343 people · 81st most distressed in Texas
American Default Research

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Stephens County, TX registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.2 — 553rd 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 81st of 254 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Stephens County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 80.2 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 80.2
Uninsured Rate 86
Disability Rate 74
Debt & Delinquency 77.2
Debt in Collections 88
Medical Debt 87
Student Loan Delinquency 80
Auto Loan Delinquency 87
Credit Card Delinquency 93
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 29
Income & Poverty 72.6
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 56
Child Poverty Rate 83
Employment & Wages 63.8
Unemployment Rate 55
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 61
Business Formation Rate 74
Housing Cost Burden 27.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 21
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 27
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 14
Homeownership Rate 26
Rent-to-Income Ratio 46

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Stephens County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Stephens County
Stephens County, TX 64.2 Elevated —
Palo Pinto County, TX 69.3 Serious +5.2
Eastland County, TX 62.7 Elevated -1.5
Throckmorton County, TX 56.2 Elevated -7.9
Young County, TX 48.2 Normal -16.0
Shackelford County, TX 44.9 Normal -19.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Stephens County
Johnson County, GA 64.2 Elevated +0.0
Wilcox County, GA 64.2 Elevated +0.0
Perry County, TN 64.2 Elevated +0.1
Coleman County, TX 64.2 Elevated +0.1
Cochran County, TX 64.0 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Stephens 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 Stephens 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 Stephens County, Texas?

    Stephens County has a County Distress Index score of 64.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 553rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 81st in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Stephens County?

    The primary driver of distress in Stephens County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 80.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Stephens County compare to neighboring counties?

    Stephens County (64.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Palo Pinto County, TX (69.3); Eastland County, TX (62.7); Throckmorton County, TX (56.2).

  • 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 Stephens County?

    Stephens County, Texas has a population of approximately 9,343 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.