Deaf Smith County, Texas
Above the national median for subprime credit share.
Main Findings
Deaf Smith County, Texas ranks 1,101st most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 39% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%.
- 1,101st of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 133rd in Texas.
- 39% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 95th percentile nationally.
- Uninsured rate at 20% — national median 8%, ranked at the 95th percentile.
- Debt in collections at 40% — national median 23%, ranked at the 95th percentile.
- Severe rent burden (50%+) at 19% — national median 18%, ranked at the 56th percentile.
Unemployment is 3%, near the national median of 4%, while subprime credit share runs at the 95th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. The 28-point drop to Randall County marks where the Texas distress corridor ends.
"Deaf Smith County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."
"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
Deaf Smith County's disability rate indicator is at the 5th percentile — while every other indicator in the safety_net_buffer domain sits at or above the 8th percentile. The gap stands out against uninsured rate. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Hereford.
The Indicators Behind Deaf Smith County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Deaf Smith County's value shown alongside TX's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Deaf Smith | TX median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 88 · Rank 280 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 7% | 5% | 76th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 10% | 7% | 5% | 94th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 39% | 32% | 23% | 95th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 55 · Rank 1,325 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 40% | 35% | 23% | 95th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 60 | 78 | 126 | 15th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 54 · Rank 1,334 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 21% | 22% | 21% | 53rd | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 19% | 17% | 18% | 56th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 39 · Rank 1,954 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 4% | 4% | 39th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 57 · Rank 1,302 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 22% | 22% | 18% | 71st | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 8% | 16% | 16% | 5th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 16% | 15% | 14% | 70th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 16% | 26% | 27% | 8th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 20% | 17% | 8% | 95th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
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 Deaf Smith County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 157-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
HEREFORD, Texas — Deaf Smith County ranks 1,101st 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 59 out of 100 places Deaf Smith in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,100 counties rank more distressed. Within Texas, Deaf Smith ranks 133rd 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, identifies delinquency as the primary driver in Deaf Smith. 39% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%.
"Deaf Smith County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Deaf Smith County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
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