Ward County, Texas

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.9 | 10,966 people · 197th most distressed in Texas

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Ward County, TX falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.9 — 1755th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Texas, it ranks 197th of 254 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ward County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 77.0 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 77.0
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 94
Student Loan Delinquency 80
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 90
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 8
Community Vulnerability 55.1
Uninsured Rate 90
Disability Rate 20
Income & Poverty 46.8
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 31
Child Poverty Rate 55
Housing Cost Burden 42.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 33
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 81
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 12
Homeownership Rate 27
Rent-to-Income Ratio 60
Employment & Wages 18.0
Unemployment Rate 16
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 33

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ward County
Ward County, TX 47.9 Normal
Ector County, TX 56.1 Elevated +8.2
Pecos County, TX 53.2 Elevated +5.3
Reeves County, TX 50.8 Elevated +2.9
Crane County, TX 38.6 Normal -9.3
Winkler County, TX 34.8 Healthy -13.1
Loving County, TX 30.8 Healthy -17.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ward County
Howard County, MO 47.9 Normal -0.0
Crook County, OR 47.9 Normal +0.0
Lee County, TX 47.8 Normal -0.0
Llano County, TX 47.8 Normal -0.1
Grant County, KY 48.0 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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Find Help in Ward County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Texas — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Ward County residents at no cost.

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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