Walker County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.8 | 81,268 people · 47th most distressed in Texas
American Default Research

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Walker County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.8 — 270th 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 47th of 254 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Walker County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 85.6 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 85.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 98
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 97
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 55
Homeownership Rate 95
Rent-to-Income Ratio 82
Income & Poverty 76.1
Poverty Rate 91
Income vs. State Median 65
Child Poverty Rate 72
Employment & Wages 67.0
Unemployment Rate 52
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 69
Business Formation Rate 80
Debt & Delinquency 61.9
Debt in Collections 83
Medical Debt 81
Student Loan Delinquency 69
Auto Loan Delinquency 63
Credit Card Delinquency 59
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 16
Community Vulnerability 53.2
Uninsured Rate 88
Disability Rate 19

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Walker County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Walker County
Walker County, TX 68.8 Serious —
Trinity County, TX 74.8 Serious +6.0
Houston County, TX 68.3 Serious -0.5
San Jacinto County, TX 66.0 Serious -2.8
Madison County, TX 64.1 Elevated -4.7
Grimes County, TX 53.7 Elevated -15.1
Montgomery County, TX 46.1 Normal -22.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Walker County
Apache County, AZ 68.7 Serious -0.0
Henderson County, TX 68.8 Serious +0.1
Hinds County, MS 68.9 Serious +0.2
Ashtabula County, OH 68.6 Serious -0.2
Norfolk city, VA 68.6 Serious -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Walker 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 Walker 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.

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Walker County, Texas?

    Walker County has a County Distress Index score of 68.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 270th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 47th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Walker County?

    The primary driver of distress in Walker County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 85.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Walker County compare to neighboring counties?

    Walker County (68.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Trinity County, TX (74.8); Houston County, TX (68.3); San Jacinto County, TX (66.0).

  • 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 Walker County?

    Walker County, Texas has a population of approximately 81,268 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.