Wharton County, Texas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.1 | 41,739 people · 89th most distressed in Texas

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Wharton County, TX registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.1 — 613th 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 89th 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. Wharton County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 67.9 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 67.9
Debt in Collections 90
Medical Debt 92
Student Loan Delinquency 97
Auto Loan Delinquency 58
Credit Card Delinquency 64
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 7
Community Vulnerability 67.3
Uninsured Rate 92
Disability Rate 43
Employment & Wages 63.4
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 57
Business Formation Rate 67
Income & Poverty 59.6
Poverty Rate 63
Income vs. State Median 49
Child Poverty Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 57.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 62
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 69
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 32
Homeownership Rate 68
Rent-to-Income Ratio 57

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Wharton County
Wharton County, TX 63.1 Elevated
Matagorda County, TX 68.7 Serious +5.5
Jackson County, TX 59.4 Elevated -3.7
Colorado County, TX 52.5 Elevated -10.7
Austin County, TX 48.1 Normal -15.1
Brazoria County, TX 44.9 Normal -18.2
Fort Bend County, TX 42.4 Normal -20.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Wharton County
Piscataquis County, ME 63.1 Elevated -0.0
Buchanan County, VA 63.1 Elevated -0.0
Buckingham County, VA 63.1 Elevated -0.0
Bladen County, NC 63.1 Elevated -0.0
Cedar County, MO 63.1 Elevated -0.0

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Find Help in Wharton 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 Wharton 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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