Bee County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 79.8 | 30,850 people · 3rd most distressed in Texas
American Default Research

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Bee County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 79.8 — 65th 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 Texas, it ranks 3rd of 254 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Bee County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 95.9 — worse than roughly 96% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 95.9
Debt in Collections 99
Medical Debt 99
Auto Loan Delinquency 90
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Uninsured Rate 94
Subprime Credit Population 97
Economic Vitality 78.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 81
Rent-to-Income Ratio 86
Business Formation Rate 92
House Price Change (YoY) 11
Structural Poverty 75.4
Unemployment Rate 69
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 75
Child Poverty Rate 87
Disability Rate 49
Transfer Income Dependency 76
Housing Cost Burden 72.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 74
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 6
Homeownership Rate 61
Legal Distress 9.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 9

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Bee County
Bee County, TX 79.8 Serious —
Refugio County, TX 75.5 Serious -4.3
San Patricio County, TX 72.6 Serious -7.3
Karnes County, TX 69.2 Serious -10.7
Live Oak County, TX 60.4 Elevated -19.5
Goliad County, TX 46.9 Normal -32.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Bee County
Bamberg County, SC 79.8 Serious -0.0
Desha County, AR 79.8 Serious -0.1
Bell County, KY 79.9 Serious +0.1
Sumter County, GA 80.0 Crisis +0.2
Marshall County, MS 79.7 Serious -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Bee County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Texas — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Texas — Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-252-9690

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Bee County residents at no cost.

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid 1-888-988-9996
Lone Star Legal Aid 1-800-733-8394
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (888) 529-5277

Self-Help Resources

Texas State Law Library — Foreclosure Research Guide Comprehensive guide to Texas foreclosure law with links to statutes, forms, and practice guides.
TexasLawHelp.org Free legal information and self-help resources for low-income Texans.

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 Texas →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Bee County, Texas?

    Bee County has a County Distress Index score of 79.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 65th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 3rd in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Bee County?

    The primary driver of distress in Bee County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 95.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Bee County compare to neighboring counties?

    Bee County (79.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Refugio County, TX (75.5); San Patricio County, TX (72.6); Karnes County, TX (69.2).

  • 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 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). Bee County's score of 79.8 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Bee 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 Bee County?

    Bee County, Texas has a population of approximately 30,850 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.