Morris County, Texas

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.2 | 12,066 people · 53rd most distressed in Texas
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Morris County, TX shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.2 — 381st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Texas, it ranks 53rd of 254 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Morris County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 90.0 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 90.0
Debt in Collections 92
Medical Debt 90
Auto Loan Delinquency 90
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Uninsured Rate 82
Subprime Credit Population 87
Structural Poverty 87.3
Unemployment Rate 83
Poverty Rate 83
Income vs. State Median 83
Child Poverty Rate 91
Disability Rate 93
Transfer Income Dependency 90
Housing Cost Burden 52.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 70
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 48
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 22
Homeownership Rate 45
Economic Vitality 36.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 9
Rent-to-Income Ratio 64
Business Formation Rate 68
House Price Change (YoY) 27
Legal Distress 6.5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 7

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Morris County
Morris County, TX 70.2 Serious —
Bowie County, TX 74.3 Serious +4.1
Red River County, TX 74.2 Serious +4.0
Marion County, TX 68.7 Serious -1.5
Cass County, TX 67.0 Serious -3.1
Camp County, TX 66.9 Serious -3.3
Upshur County, TX 65.0 Serious -5.1
Titus County, TX 62.6 Elevated -7.5

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Morris County
Tift County, GA 70.2 Serious +0.0
Clarke County, MS 70.1 Serious -0.1
New Madrid County, MO 70.1 Serious -0.1
Estill County, KY 70.0 Serious -0.1
St. Helena Parish, LA 70.0 Serious -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Morris 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 Morris 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 Morris County, Texas?

    Morris County has a County Distress Index score of 70.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 381st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 53rd in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Morris County?

    The primary driver of distress in Morris County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 90.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Morris County compare to neighboring counties?

    Morris County (70.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Bowie County, TX (74.3); Red River County, TX (74.2); Marion County, TX (68.7).

  • 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). Morris County's score of 70.2 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Morris 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 Morris County?

    Morris County, Texas has a population of approximately 12,066 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.