Brown County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 75.5 | 38,709 people · 17th most distressed in Texas
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Brown County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 75.5 — 169th 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 17th of 254 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Brown County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 88.3 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 88.3
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 92
Auto Loan Delinquency 83
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Uninsured Rate 94
Subprime Credit Population 81
Housing Cost Burden 78.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 83
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 82
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 50
Homeownership Rate 77
Structural Poverty 67.5
Unemployment Rate 41
Poverty Rate 60
Income vs. State Median 61
Child Poverty Rate 67
Disability Rate 89
Transfer Income Dependency 79
Economic Vitality 60.7
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 65
Rent-to-Income Ratio 62
Business Formation Rate 58
House Price Change (YoY) 37
Legal Distress 18.3
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 18

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Brown County
Brown County, TX 75.5 Serious —
McCulloch County, TX 68.7 Serious -6.8
Eastland County, TX 59.7 Elevated -15.8
Coleman County, TX 57.5 Elevated -18.0
Callahan County, TX 56.0 Elevated -19.4
San Saba County, TX 50.4 Elevated -25.1
Comanche County, TX 49.8 Normal -25.7
Mills County, TX 48.4 Normal -27.0

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Brown County
Calhoun County, FL 75.5 Serious -0.0
Peach County, GA 75.5 Serious -0.0
Macon County, AL 75.5 Serious +0.0
Pulaski County, GA 75.5 Serious +0.0
Thomas County, GA 75.5 Serious +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Brown 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 Brown 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 Brown County, Texas?

    Brown County has a County Distress Index score of 75.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 169th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 17th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Brown County?

    The primary driver of distress in Brown County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 88.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Brown County compare to neighboring counties?

    Brown County (75.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: McCulloch County, TX (68.7); Eastland County, TX (59.7); Coleman County, TX (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 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). Brown County's score of 75.5 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Brown 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 Brown County?

    Brown County, Texas has a population of approximately 38,709 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.