Otero County, Colorado
Above the national median for unemployment (average of monthly rates) — and 10.4× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Otero County, Colorado is more distressed than 79% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. The driver: 6% of the labor force was unemployed on average from September 2025 to August 2026 — above the national median of 4%. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor and its lowest is Default & Legal.
- 5th of 64 counties in Colorado on the County Distress Index — 79 · high county distress, more distressed than 79% of U.S. counties.
- 6% of the labor force was unemployed on average from September 2025 to August 2026 (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment (average of monthly rates) at the 89th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025).
- Child poverty rate at 26% — national median 17%, ranked at the 84th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 25% — national median 21%, ranked at the 83rd percentile. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
- Credit card delinquency at 7% — national median 5%, ranked at the 72nd percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 59-point drop to Kiowa County marks where the Colorado distress corridor ends.
Otero County has a high county distress score. The score label gives the intensity; the rank gives the national position.
The CDI gives this county a high county distress label. The rank belongs beside the score because the two answer different questions: score intensity and national position. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024), 26% of children under 18 in Otero County live below the federal poverty line, versus 17% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Otero County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Otero County's value shown alongside CO's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Otero | CO median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 61 · Rank 1,178 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 3% | 5% | 44th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 4% | 5% | 72nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 28% | 19% | 23% | 67th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 54 · Rank 1,375 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 25% | 15% | 23% | 57th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 127 | 113 | 126 | 50th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 70 · Rank 738 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 25% | 24% | 21% | 83rd | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 19% | 22% | 18% | 56th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 80 · Rank 444 of 3,144 | |||||
| Adults 25-54 not working Share of adults aged 25 to 54 without a job, leaving out residents of prisons and other institutions (service members count as working) | 24% | 16% | 21% | 71st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Unemployment (average of monthly rates) Share of labor force unemployed, averaged over the monthly rates published for September 2025 to August 2026 (no figures published for October 2025) | 6% | 4% | 4% | 89th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 74 · Rank 619 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 26% | 17% | 17% | 84th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 19% | 12% | 16% | 76th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 19% | 11% | 13% | 84th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 7% | 8% | 8% | 38th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index scores household financial distress from 0 to 100 for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the five domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every other county to give the score.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2024 to 2027 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Otero County data.
Draft wire copy 133-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
LA JUNTA, Colo. — Otero County is more distressed than 79% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Otero scores 79 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 79% of U.S. counties; its score label is high county distress. Within Colorado, Otero ranks fifth of 64 counties.
The index, which draws on 14 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies labor as the primary driver in Otero. 6% of the labor force was unemployed on average from September 2025 to August 2026 — above the national median of 4%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Otero County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Otero County's distress score?
How does Otero County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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