Catron County, New Mexico

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.2 | 3,825 people · 31st most distressed in New Mexico
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Catron County, NM falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.2 — 2116th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within New Mexico, it ranks 31st of 33 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Catron County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 87.8 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 87.8
Unemployment Rate 89
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 75
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Economic Vitality 75.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 80
Rent-to-Income Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 51
House Price Change (YoY) 63
Consumer Credit Distress 37.6
Debt in Collections 28
Medical Debt 52
Auto Loan Delinquency 52
Credit Card Delinquency 42
Uninsured Rate 50
Subprime Credit Population 18
Legal Distress 24.4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 24
Housing Cost Burden 11.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 7
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 21
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 5

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Catron County
Catron County, NM 41.2 Normal —
Cibola County, NM 72.1 Serious +30.9
Apache County, AZ 64.5 Elevated +23.4
Socorro County, NM 63.7 Elevated +22.6
Grant County, NM 54.9 Elevated +13.7
Sierra County, NM 51.3 Elevated +10.1
Greenlee County, AZ 41.7 Normal +0.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Catron County
Cheyenne County, NE 41.2 Normal +0.1
Aleutians West Census Area, AK 41.2 Normal +0.1
Borden County, TX 41.2 Normal +0.1
San Juan County, CO 41.3 Normal +0.1
Monona County, IA 41.3 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Catron County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of New Mexico Lawyer Referral Program offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of New Mexico Lawyer Referral Program 505-797-6000

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Catron County residents at no cost.

New Mexico Legal Aid 1-866-416-1922
Law Access New Mexico 1-800-340-9771
DNA-Peoples Legal Services, Inc. (928) 871-4151

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Catron County, New Mexico?

    Catron County has a County Distress Index score of 41.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,116th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 31st in New Mexico out of 33 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Catron County?

    The primary driver of distress in Catron County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 87.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Catron County compare to neighboring counties?

    Catron County (41.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Cibola County, NM (72.1); Apache County, AZ (64.5); Socorro County, NM (63.7).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). 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.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Normal zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Catron County's score of 41.2 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

  • What data sources power Catron County's CDI score?

    Catron County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Catron County?

    Catron County, New Mexico has a population of approximately 3,825 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.