Wichita County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.2 | 130,180 people · 61st most distressed in Texas
American Default Research

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Wichita County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.2 — 367th 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 61st of 254 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Wichita County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 82.0 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 82.0
Debt in Collections 94
Medical Debt 97
Student Loan Delinquency 72
Auto Loan Delinquency 77
Credit Card Delinquency 76
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 76
Community Vulnerability 67.5
Uninsured Rate 89
Disability Rate 46
Housing Cost Burden 65.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 60
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 44
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 73
Homeownership Rate 91
Rent-to-Income Ratio 59
Income & Poverty 65.5
Poverty Rate 76
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 76
Employment & Wages 55.3
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 60
Business Formation Rate 65

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Wichita County
Wichita County, TX 67.2 Serious —
Tillman County, OK 73.2 Serious +6.0
Wilbarger County, TX 67.3 Serious +0.1
Baylor County, TX 66.1 Serious -1.0
Cotton County, OK 64.4 Elevated -2.8
Clay County, TX 55.7 Elevated -11.5
Archer County, TX 44.8 Normal -22.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Wichita County
Madison County, TN 67.2 Serious +0.0
Mendocino County, CA 67.2 Serious +0.1
Sumter County, SC 67.1 Serious -0.1
Victoria County, TX 67.0 Serious -0.1
Navarro County, TX 67.0 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wichita 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 Wichita 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 →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Wichita County has a County Distress Index score of 67.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 367th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 61st in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wichita County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wichita County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 82.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Wichita County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wichita County (67.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Tillman County, OK (73.2); Wilbarger County, TX (67.3); Baylor County, TX (66.1).

  • 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 Wichita County?

    Wichita County, Texas has a population of approximately 130,180 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.