Waller County, Texas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.5 | 63,553 people · 144th most distressed in Texas
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Waller County, TX registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.5 — 1103rd 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 144th 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. Waller County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 65.5 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 65.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 54
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 45
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 69
Rent-to-Income Ratio 77
Debt & Delinquency 63.7
Debt in Collections 73
Medical Debt 70
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 56
Credit Card Delinquency 82
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 28
Employment & Wages 61.3
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 83
Business Formation Rate 21
Community Vulnerability 52.9
Uninsured Rate 97
Disability Rate 9
Income & Poverty 39.4
Poverty Rate 53
Income vs. State Median 12
Child Poverty Rate 53

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Waller County
Waller County, TX 56.5 Elevated —
Harris County, TX 59.2 Elevated +2.6
Washington County, TX 55.4 Elevated -1.2
Grimes County, TX 53.7 Elevated -2.8
Austin County, TX 48.1 Normal -8.5
Montgomery County, TX 46.1 Normal -10.5
Fort Bend County, TX 42.4 Normal -14.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Waller County
Carson City, NV 56.5 Elevated -0.0
Williamson County, IL 56.5 Elevated -0.0
Glynn County, GA 56.5 Elevated -0.0
Oxford County, ME 56.5 Elevated -0.1
Cumberland County, TN 56.5 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Waller 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 Waller 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Texas →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Waller County has a County Distress Index score of 56.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,103rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 144th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Waller County?

    The primary driver of distress in Waller County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 65.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Waller County compare to neighboring counties?

    Waller County (56.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Harris County, TX (59.2); Washington County, TX (55.4); Grimes County, TX (53.7).

  • 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 Waller County?

    Waller County, Texas has a population of approximately 63,553 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.