Upton County, Texas
Above the national median for subprime credit share.
Main Findings
Upton County, Texas ranks 2,207th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Upton sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
- 2,207th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 38.9 · low-moderate county distress, 237th in Texas.
- 34% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 87th percentile nationally. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025).
- Uninsured rate at 15% — national median 8%, ranked at the 88th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Debt in collections at 34% — national median 23%, ranked at the 84th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 26 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 25-point drop to Crane County marks where the Texas distress corridor ends.
Upton County has a low-moderate county distress score. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands.
The CDI gives this county a low-moderate county distress label. The label comes from the score, while the rank compares the county with the current national cross-section. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Upton County's disability rate indicator is at the 10th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 61st percentile. The gap stands out against uninsured rate. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Rankin.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Upton County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Upton County's value shown alongside TX's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Upton | TX median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 61 · Rank 1,171 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 7% | 5% | 74th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 7% | 5% | 23rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 34% | 32% | 23% | 87th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 45 · Rank 1,780 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 34% | 35% | 23% | 84th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 32 | 78 | 126 | 5th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 26 · Rank 2,589 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 21% | 22% | 21% | 46th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 2% | 17% | 18% | 5th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 5 · Rank 2,994 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 2% | 4% | 4% | 5th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 58 · Rank 1,265 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 22% | 22% | 18% | 67th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 11% | 16% | 16% | 10th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 15% | 15% | 14% | 63rd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 15% | 17% | 8% | 88th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Upton County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 124-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
RANKIN, Texas — Upton County ranks 2,207th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 38.9 out of 100 gives Upton a low-moderate county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,206 counties rank more distressed. Within Texas, Upton ranks 237th of 254 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Upton sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Upton County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Upton County's distress score?
How does Upton County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Upton County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →