Taos County, New Mexico

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.6 | 34,405 people · 23rd most distressed in New Mexico
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Taos County, NM registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.6 — 1538th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Economic Vitality, where wages are low relative to housing costs, business formation lags, and the local economy lacks dynamism. Within New Mexico, it ranks 23rd of 33 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Taos County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 79.9 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 79.9
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 90
Rent-to-Income Ratio 92
Business Formation Rate 31
House Price Change (YoY) 86
Housing Cost Burden 71.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 84
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 93
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 21
Homeownership Rate 25
Structural Poverty 66.9
Unemployment Rate 67
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 37
Child Poverty Rate 74
Disability Rate 71
Transfer Income Dependency 80
Consumer Credit Distress 37.9
Debt in Collections 42
Medical Debt 36
Auto Loan Delinquency 42
Credit Card Delinquency 26
Uninsured Rate 50
Subprime Credit Population 36
Legal Distress 3.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 3

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Taos County
Taos County, NM 50.6 Elevated —
Costilla County, CO 64.7 Elevated +14.1
Colfax County, NM 54.3 Elevated +3.7
Rio Arriba County, NM 48.2 Normal -2.4
Conejos County, CO 46.4 Normal -4.2
Mora County, NM 40.8 Normal -9.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Taos County
Pontotoc County, OK 50.5 Elevated -0.1
Pamlico County, NC 50.5 Elevated -0.1
Macon County, NC 50.5 Elevated -0.1
Itawamba County, MS 50.5 Elevated -0.1
Carbon County, UT 50.8 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Taos 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 Taos 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in New Mexico →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Taos County has a County Distress Index score of 50.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,538th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 23rd in New Mexico out of 33 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Taos County?

    The primary driver of distress in Taos County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 79.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Taos County compare to neighboring counties?

    Taos County (50.6) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Costilla County, CO (64.7); Colfax County, NM (54.3); Rio Arriba County, NM (48.2).

  • 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). Taos County's score of 50.6 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Taos 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 Taos County?

    Taos County, New Mexico has a population of approximately 34,405 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.