#2,117 Texas · 2026

Crane County, Texas

Second-least distressed fifth 2,117th of 3,144 counties nationally · 4,574 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
34% Crane residents
vs.
23% U.S. median

Above the national median for subprime credit share.

Urban Institute (2024)

Main Findings

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Crane County, Texas ranks 2,117th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Crane sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 2,117th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-least distressed fifth, 226th in Texas.
  • 34% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 85th percentile nationally.
  • Debt in collections at 31% — national median 23%, ranked at the 77th percentile.
  • Uninsured rate at 23% — national median 8%, ranked at the 95th percentile.
  • Labor domain score 24 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
Distinctive Signals
Boundary Signal

Neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. The 28-point drop to Upton County marks where the Texas distress corridor ends.

County Distress Index cluster map. Crane County, Texas and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Crane and its 5 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Crane County ranks 2,117th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 21 words

"Crane County ranks in the second-least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 25 words

"The CDI places this county in the second-least distressed fifth nationally. The rank still belongs in context with state position and the highest-scoring local domain."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Crane County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Crane 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 Crane County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Crane TX median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 76 · Rank 658 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 7% 7% 5% 74th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 7% 7% 5% 68th Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 34% 32% 23% 85th Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 41 · Rank 1,949 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 31% 35% 23% 77th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 22 78 126 5th US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 23 · Rank 2,659 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 20% 22% 21% 42nd HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 0% 17% 18% 5th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 24 · Rank 2,417 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 3% 4% 4% 24th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 40 · Rank 1,950 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 16% 22% 18% 40th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 7% 16% 16% 5th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 12% 15% 14% 35th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 17% 26% 27% 12th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 23% 17% 8% 95th 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 76
Weight 20% · Rank 658 of 3,144
Default & Legal 41
Weight 20% · Rank 1,949 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 40
Weight 20% · Rank 1,950 of 3,144
Labor 24
Weight 20% · Rank 2,417 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 23
Weight 20% · Rank 2,659 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 Crane 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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CRANE, Texas — Crane County ranks 2,117th 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 41 out of 100 places Crane in the second-least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,116 counties rank more distressed. Within Texas, Crane ranks 226th 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, finds Crane sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"Crane County ranks in the second-least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context," 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 Crane County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Crane County scores 41 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the second-least distressed fifth. It ranks 2,117th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 226th of 254 Texas counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Crane County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Delinquency, at a domain score of 76. Subprime credit share ranks at the 85th percentile nationally.

How does Crane County compare to its neighbors?

Crane County's neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Ector County (65.44, Second-most distressed fifth). Lowest: Upton County (37.13, Second-least 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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