Real County, Texas
More than double the national median for disability rate — and 19.4× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (San Juan County, CO — 2%).
Main Findings
Real County, Texas is more distressed than 65% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. The driver: 35% of residents report a disability — more than double the national median of 16%. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer and its lowest is Default & Legal.
- 132nd of 254 counties in Texas on the County Distress Index — 65 · moderate-high county distress, more distressed than 65% of U.S. counties.
- 35% of residents report a disability (U.S. median 16%). Disability rate at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
- Auto loan delinquency at 7% — national median 5%, ranked at the 74th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 23% — national median 21%, ranked at the 72nd percentile. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
- Unemployment (average of monthly rates) at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 75th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 48-point drop to Kerr County marks where the Texas distress corridor ends.
Real County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024), 29% of children under 18 in Real County live below the federal poverty line, versus 17% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Real County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Real County's value shown alongside TX's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Real | TX median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 61 · Rank 1,171 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 7% | 5% | 74th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 7% | 5% | 72nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 21% | 32% | 23% | 38th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 42 · Rank 1,887 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 32% | 35% | 23% | 80th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 35 | 78 | 126 | 5th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 60 · Rank 1,068 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 23% | 22% | 21% | 72nd | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 18% | 17% | 18% | 48th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 48 · Rank 1,684 of 3,144 | |||||
| Adults 25-54 not working Share of adults aged 25 to 54 without a job, leaving out residents of prisons and other institutions (service members count as working) | 16% | 22% | 21% | 21st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Unemployment (average of monthly rates) Share of labor force unemployed, averaged over the monthly rates published for September 2025 to August 2026 (no figures published for October 2025) | 5% | 4% | 4% | 75th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 84 · Rank 237 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 29% | 20% | 17% | 90th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 35% | 16% | 16% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 15% | 15% | 13% | 65th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 16% | 17% | 8% | 92nd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
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 scores household financial distress from 0 to 100 for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. 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 five domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every other county to give the score.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2024 to 2027 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Real County data.
Draft wire copy 128-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
LEAKEY, Texas — Real County is more distressed than 65% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Real scores 65 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 65% of U.S. counties; its score label is moderate-high county distress. Within Texas, Real ranks 132nd of 254 counties.
The index, which draws on 14 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies safety net & buffer as the primary driver in Real. 35% of residents report a disability — more than double the national median of 16%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Real County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Real County's distress score?
How does Real County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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