Collin County, Texas

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.5 | 1,195,359 people · 209th most distressed in Texas
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Collin County is the wealthiest large county in Texas and among the wealthiest in the country. Median household income runs nearly 2x the state figure. Poverty is 6.4%. Child poverty is 6.6%. The numbers read like a county that should score Healthy. It scores 38.1, Normal. The gap between income and score comes from one place. Housing Cost Burden registers at the 72.8nd percentile. A third of homeowners are spending more than 30% of income on housing in a county where the median household income approaches $130,000. Forty-five percent of renters are cost-burdened. Texas has no income tax, but the property tax system means that high home values translate directly into high annual costs. The wealth creates the real estate prices. The real estate prices create the housing burden. And 10% of the county is uninsured. Every adjacent county scores worse. Dallas County hits 60.3, Elevated. Hunt County reaches 64.7. Grayson 57.2. Fannin 56.1. Collin sits at the center of a ring of Elevated counties, absorbing the region's highest-earning households while the surrounding jurisdictions absorb the spillover costs. The wealth is concentrated. The pressure radiates outward.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Collin County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 79.0 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 79.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 80
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 70
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 97
Homeownership Rate 86
Legal Distress 65.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 65
Economic Vitality 45.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 61
Rent-to-Income Ratio 31
Business Formation Rate 3
House Price Change (YoY) 90
Consumer Credit Distress 44.2
Debt in Collections 38
Medical Debt 59
Auto Loan Delinquency 44
Credit Card Delinquency 33
Uninsured Rate 64
Subprime Credit Population 42
Structural Poverty 6.8
Unemployment Rate 45
Poverty Rate 1
Income vs. State Median 1
Child Poverty Rate 1
Disability Rate 1
Transfer Income Dependency 1

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Collin County
Collin County, TX 48.5 Normal —
Dallas County, TX 73.7 Serious +25.2
Hunt County, TX 73.6 Serious +25.1
Grayson County, TX 68.6 Serious +20.1
Fannin County, TX 63.9 Elevated +15.4
Denton County, TX 56.5 Elevated +8.0
Rockwall County, TX 53.3 Elevated +4.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Collin County
San Diego County, CA 48.8 Normal +0.3
Salt Lake County, UT 48.2 Normal -0.3
Travis County, TX 51.2 Elevated +2.7
Orange County, CA 44.1 Normal -4.4
Suffolk County, NY 43.9 Normal -4.6

Download Data

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

Find Help in Collin 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 Collin 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 Collin County, Texas?

    Collin County has a County Distress Index score of 48.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,678th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 209th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Collin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Collin County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 79.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Collin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Collin County (48.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Dallas County, TX (73.7); Hunt County, TX (73.6); Grayson County, TX (68.6).

  • 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 Normal 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). Collin County's score of 48.5 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Collin 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 Collin County?

    Collin County, Texas has a population of approximately 1,195,359 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.