Jones County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 73.1 | 20,381 people · 36th most distressed in Texas
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Jones County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 73.1 — 264th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Economic Vitality, where wages are low relative to housing costs, business formation lags, and the local economy lacks dynamism. Within Texas, it ranks 36th of 254 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Jones County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 87.2 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 87.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 81
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 90
House Price Change (YoY) 90
Consumer Credit Distress 86.4
Debt in Collections 93
Medical Debt 96
Auto Loan Delinquency 72
Credit Card Delinquency 96
Uninsured Rate 95
Subprime Credit Population 76
Structural Poverty 68.1
Unemployment Rate 34
Poverty Rate 87
Income vs. State Median 83
Child Poverty Rate 68
Disability Rate 59
Transfer Income Dependency 67
Housing Cost Burden 57.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 46
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 57
Homeownership Rate 15
Legal Distress 24.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 25

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Jones County
Jones County, TX 73.1 Serious —
Taylor County, TX 69.4 Serious -3.7
Nolan County, TX 68.9 Serious -4.2
Haskell County, TX 63.5 Elevated -9.5
Callahan County, TX 56.0 Elevated -17.0
Stonewall County, TX 54.2 Elevated -18.9
Shackelford County, TX 48.9 Normal -24.2
Fisher County, TX 47.5 Normal -25.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Jones County
Cross County, AR 73.2 Serious +0.1
Clay County, KY 73.0 Serious -0.1
Richland Parish, LA 73.0 Serious -0.1
Poinsett County, AR 73.2 Serious +0.2
Butler County, AL 72.9 Serious -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jones 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 Jones 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 Jones County, Texas?

    Jones County has a County Distress Index score of 73.1 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 264th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 36th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jones County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jones County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 87.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Jones County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jones County (73.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Taylor County, TX (69.4); Nolan County, TX (68.9); Haskell County, TX (63.5).

  • 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). Jones County's score of 73.1 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Jones 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 Jones County?

    Jones County, Texas has a population of approximately 20,381 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.