#373 Top 500 Most Distressed Counties · 2026

Angelina County, Texas

Most distressed fifth 373rd of 3,144 counties nationally · 87,319 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
35% Angelina residents
vs.
23% U.S. median

Above the national median for subprime credit share.

Urban Institute (2024)

Main Findings

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Angelina County, Texas ranks 373rd most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 35% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%.

Key Findings
  • 373rd of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 32nd in Texas.
  • 35% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 88th percentile nationally.
  • Uninsured rate at 18% — national median 8%, ranked at the 94th percentile.
  • Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 71st percentile.
  • Debt in collections at 37% — national median 23%, ranked at the 89th percentile.
Distinctive Signals
Boundary Signal

Neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. The 17-point drop to Cherokee County marks where the Texas distress corridor ends.

County Distress Index cluster map. Angelina County, Texas and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Angelina and its 8 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Angelina County ranks 373rd of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 22 words

"Angelina County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 29 words

"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."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Angelina County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Angelina County's value shown alongside TX's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is Angelina County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Angelina TX median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 84 · Rank 393 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 8% 7% 5% 85th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 8% 7% 5% 80th Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 35% 32% 23% 88th Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 66 · Rank 877 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 37% 35% 23% 89th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 114 78 126 43rd US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 62 · Rank 1,060 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 21% 22% 21% 53rd HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 21% 17% 18% 70th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 71 · Rank 943 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 4% 4% 4% 71st BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 78 · Rank 506 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 25% 22% 18% 79th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 19% 16% 16% 78th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 17% 15% 14% 74th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 29% 26% 27% 61st BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 18% 17% 8% 94th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Delinquency Primary driver 84
Weight 20% · Rank 393 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 78
Weight 20% · Rank 506 of 3,144
Labor 71
Weight 20% · Rank 943 of 3,144
Default & Legal 66
Weight 20% · Rank 877 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 62
Weight 20% · Rank 1,060 of 3,144

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 Angelina County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
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LUFKIN, Texas — Angelina County ranks 373rd 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 72 out of 100 places Angelina in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 372 counties rank more distressed. Within Texas, Angelina ranks 32nd of 254 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 Angelina. 35% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%.

"Angelina 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Angelina County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Angelina County scores 72 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the most distressed fifth. It ranks 373rd of 3,144 U.S. counties and 32nd of 254 Texas counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Angelina County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Delinquency, at a domain score of 84. Subprime credit share ranks at the 88th percentile nationally.

How does Angelina County compare to its neighbors?

Angelina County's neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: San Augustine County (79.86, Most distressed fifth). Lowest: Cherokee County (62.82, Second-most distressed fifth).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 16 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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