Harris County, Texas
Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).
Main Findings
Harris County, Texas ranks 385th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 25% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%.
- 385th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 34th in Texas.
- 25% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 87th percentile nationally.
- Subprime credit share at 34% — national median 23%, ranked at the 86th percentile.
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 74th percentile.
- Debt in collections at 35% — national median 23%, ranked at the 87th percentile.
Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 30-point drop to Chambers County marks where the Houston metro area distress corridor ends.
"Harris County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."
"The CDI places this county in the most distressed fifth nationally. The rank is the important geography signal: it compares the county with every other county-equivalent in the release."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
Harris County's disability rate indicator is at the 7th percentile — while every other indicator in the safety_net_buffer domain sits at or above the 3rd percentile. The gap stands out against uninsured rate. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Houston.
The Indicators Behind Harris County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Harris County's value shown alongside TX's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Harris | TX median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 83 · Rank 440 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 7% | 5% | 85th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 7% | 5% | 78th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 34% | 32% | 23% | 86th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 65 · Rank 929 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 35% | 35% | 23% | 87th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 115 | 78 | 126 | 44th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 86 · Rank 235 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 26% | 22% | 21% | 86th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 25% | 17% | 18% | 87th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 74 · Rank 848 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 74th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 51 · Rank 1,531 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 | 10% | 16% | 16% | 7th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 16% | 15% | 14% | 68th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 12% | 26% | 27% | 3rd | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 21% | 17% | 8% | 97th | 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 Harris County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 150-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
HOUSTON, Texas — Harris County ranks 385th 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 72 out of 100 places Harris in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 384 counties rank more distressed. Within Texas, Harris ranks 34th 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 debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Harris. 25% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%.
"Harris County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated," 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 Harris County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Harris County's distress score?
How does Harris County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Harris County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →