San Juan County, New Mexico
More than double the national median for auto loan delinquency.
Main Findings
San Juan County, New Mexico ranks 435th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 12% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due — more than double the national median of 5%.
- 435th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 8th in New Mexico.
- 12% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Auto loan delinquency at the 97th percentile nationally.
- Unemployment at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 84th percentile.
- Poverty rate at 20% — national median 14%, ranked at the 85th percentile.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 23% — national median 21%, ranked at the 65th percentile.
Unemployment is 5%, near the national median of 4%, while auto loan delinquency runs at the 97th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span four CDI distress fifths. The 55-point drop to Archuleta County, CO marks a cross-border distress gradient.
"San Juan County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."
"The CDI places this county in the most distressed fifth nationally. The rank is the important geography signal: it compares the county with every other county-equivalent in the release."
The Indicators Behind San Juan County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. San Juan County's value shown alongside NM's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | San Juan | NM median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 84 · Rank 395 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 12% | 5% | 5% | 97th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 6% | 5% | 66th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 37% | 26% | 23% | 91st | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 49 · Rank 1,596 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 33% | 28% | 23% | 81st | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 63 | 65 | 126 | 16th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 62 · Rank 1,061 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 23% | 26% | 21% | 65th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 19% | 18% | 18% | 58th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 84 · Rank 511 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 5% | 4% | 84th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 75 · Rank 607 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 26% | 27% | 18% | 83rd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 16% | 20% | 16% | 49th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 20% | 19% | 14% | 85th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 30% | 34% | 27% | 63rd | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 12% | 9% | 8% | 80th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
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 is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. 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 CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite San Juan County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 155-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
AZTEC, N.M. — San Juan County ranks 435th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 71 out of 100 places San Juan in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 434 counties rank more distressed. Within New Mexico, San Juan ranks eighth of 33 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies delinquency as the primary driver in San Juan. 12% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due — more than double the national median of 5%.
"San Juan County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is San Juan County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives San Juan County's distress score?
How does San Juan County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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