McKinley County, New Mexico

County Distress Index: Serious · 72.7 | 68,797 people · 1st most distressed in New Mexico
American Default Research

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McKinley County, NM shows significant household financial distress with a score of 72.7 — 281st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within New Mexico, it ranks 1st of 33 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. McKinley County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 93.6 — worse than roughly 94% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 93.6
Debt in Collections 99
Medical Debt 68
Auto Loan Delinquency 99
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Uninsured Rate 96
Subprime Credit Population 99
Structural Poverty 87.2
Unemployment Rate 86
Poverty Rate 99
Income vs. State Median 90
Child Poverty Rate 99
Disability Rate 50
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Economic Vitality 79.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 69
Rent-to-Income Ratio 97
Business Formation Rate 99
House Price Change (YoY) 33
Housing Cost Burden 38.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 30
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 42
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 4
Homeownership Rate 75
Legal Distress 5.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. McKinley County
McKinley County, NM 72.7 Serious —
Cibola County, NM 72.1 Serious -0.6
Apache County, AZ 64.5 Elevated -8.1
San Juan County, NM 63.7 Elevated -9.0
Sandoval County, NM 50.4 Elevated -22.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. McKinley County
Pitt County, NC 72.6 Serious -0.1
San Patricio County, TX 72.6 Serious -0.1
Calcasieu Parish, LA 72.8 Serious +0.1
Florence County, SC 72.6 Serious -0.1
Richmond city, VA 72.5 Serious -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in McKinley 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 McKinley 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 McKinley County, New Mexico?

    McKinley County has a County Distress Index score of 72.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 281st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in New Mexico out of 33 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in McKinley County?

    The primary driver of distress in McKinley County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 93.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does McKinley County compare to neighboring counties?

    McKinley County (72.7) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Cibola County, NM (72.1); Apache County, AZ (64.5); San Juan 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 Serious 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). McKinley County's score of 72.7 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    McKinley 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 McKinley County?

    McKinley County, New Mexico has a population of approximately 68,797 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.