Cass County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.0 | 28,659 people · 80th most distressed in Texas
American Default Research

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Cass County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.0 — 546th 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 Texas, it ranks 80th of 254 counties. It scores lower 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. Cass County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 80.8 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 80.8
Unemployment Rate 76
Poverty Rate 70
Income vs. State Median 82
Child Poverty Rate 75
Disability Rate 85
Transfer Income Dependency 90
Consumer Credit Distress 78.6
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 97
Auto Loan Delinquency 81
Credit Card Delinquency 44
Uninsured Rate 78
Subprime Credit Population 79
Economic Vitality 51.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 45
Rent-to-Income Ratio 62
Business Formation Rate 47
House Price Change (YoY) 58
Housing Cost Burden 49.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 59
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 53
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 24
Homeownership Rate 33
Legal Distress 41.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 42

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Cass County
Cass County, TX 67.0 Serious —
Caddo Parish, LA 82.7 Crisis +15.6
Miller County, AR 79.3 Serious +12.2
Bowie County, TX 74.3 Serious +7.3
Morris County, TX 70.2 Serious +3.1
Marion County, TX 68.7 Serious +1.7

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Cass County
Scott County, MO 67.0 Serious -0.0
Caddo County, OK 67.0 Serious -0.0
Falls County, TX 67.0 Serious -0.0
Barren County, KY 67.1 Serious +0.0
Brantley County, GA 67.0 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cass 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 Cass 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 Cass County, Texas?

    Cass County has a County Distress Index score of 67.0 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 546th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 80th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cass County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cass County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 80.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Cass County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cass County (67.0) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Caddo Parish, LA (82.7); Miller County, AR (79.3); Bowie County, TX (74.3).

  • 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). Cass County's score of 67.0 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Cass 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 Cass County?

    Cass County, Texas has a population of approximately 28,659 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.