Tarrant County, Texas
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Tarrant County. Population: 2,182,947 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Tarrant County, TX registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.6 — 1101st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Texas, it ranks 143rd of 254 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Tarrant County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
Income & Poverty
How Tarrant County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County, TX | 56.6 | Elevated | — |
| Dallas County, TX | 60.3 | Elevated | +3.8 |
| Johnson County, TX | 54.2 | Elevated | -2.3 |
| Ellis County, TX | 52.1 | Elevated | -4.4 |
| Parker County, TX | 44.9 | Normal | -11.7 |
| Wise County, TX | 43.9 | Normal | -12.7 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings County, NY | 56.8 | Elevated | +0.2 |
| Pima County, AZ | 56.3 | Elevated | -0.3 |
| Riverside County, CA | 56.0 | Elevated | -0.5 |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 57.5 | Elevated | +0.9 |
| Los Angeles County, CA | 54.6 | Elevated | -2.0 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Tarrant County as a CSV file.
Resources
Tarrant County scores in the Elevated zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Tarrant County, Texas?
Tarrant County has a County Distress Index score of 56.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,101st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 143rd in Texas out of 254 counties.
What drives financial distress in Tarrant County?
The primary driver of distress in Tarrant County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 90.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Tarrant County compare to neighboring counties?
Tarrant County (56.6) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Dallas County, TX (60.3); Johnson County, TX (54.2); Ellis County, TX (52.1).
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 Tarrant County?
Tarrant County, Texas has a population of approximately 2,182,947 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.