Socorro County, New Mexico

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.7 | 15,963 people · 7th most distressed in New Mexico
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Socorro County, NM registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.7 — 721st 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 7th of 33 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Socorro County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 86.9 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 86.9
Unemployment Rate 76
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 74
Child Poverty Rate 94
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 91
Housing Cost Burden 65.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 89
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 60
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 17
Homeownership Rate 55
Consumer Credit Distress 64.7
Debt in Collections 68
Medical Debt 38
Auto Loan Delinquency 76
Credit Card Delinquency 69
Uninsured Rate 51
Subprime Credit Population 71
Economic Vitality 59.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 26
Rent-to-Income Ratio 82
Business Formation Rate 92
House Price Change (YoY) 95
Legal Distress 16.1
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Socorro County
Socorro County, NM 63.7 Elevated —
Cibola County, NM 72.1 Serious +8.3
Valencia County, NM 63.7 Elevated -0.1
Torrance County, NM 57.5 Elevated -6.2
Sierra County, NM 51.3 Elevated -12.5
Lincoln County, NM 50.0 Normal -13.8
Catron County, NM 41.2 Normal -22.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Socorro County
Tippah County, MS 63.7 Elevated -0.1
Nottoway County, VA 63.7 Elevated -0.1
Crockett County, TN 63.8 Elevated +0.1
Marion County, TN 63.7 Elevated -0.1
Brunswick County, VA 63.7 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Socorro 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 Socorro 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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Socorro County has a County Distress Index score of 63.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 721st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 7th in New Mexico out of 33 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Socorro County?

    The primary driver of distress in Socorro County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 86.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Socorro County compare to neighboring counties?

    Socorro County (63.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Cibola County, NM (72.1); Valencia County, NM (63.7); Torrance County, NM (57.5).

  • 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 Elevated 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). Socorro County's score of 63.7 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Socorro 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 Socorro County?

    Socorro County, New Mexico has a population of approximately 15,963 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.