Sabine County, Texas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.5 | 10,106 people · 170th most distressed in Texas
American Default Research

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Sabine County, TX registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.5 — 1313th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Texas, it ranks 170th of 254 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Sabine County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 80.8 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 80.8
Unemployment Rate 94
Poverty Rate 58
Income vs. State Median 58
Child Poverty Rate 91
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Consumer Credit Distress 67.1
Debt in Collections 88
Medical Debt 91
Auto Loan Delinquency 29
Credit Card Delinquency 61
Uninsured Rate 85
Subprime Credit Population 60
Economic Vitality 47.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 58
Rent-to-Income Ratio 38
Business Formation Rate 28
House Price Change (YoY) 57
Legal Distress 40.5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 40
Housing Cost Burden 18.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 16
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 32
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Sabine County
Sabine County, TX 54.5 Elevated —
San Augustine County, TX 75.4 Serious +21.0
Sabine Parish, LA 63.9 Elevated +9.5
Jasper County, TX 63.5 Elevated +9.1
Shelby County, TX 62.8 Elevated +8.3
Newton County, TX 61.2 Elevated +6.7

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Sabine County
Monroe County, KY 54.5 Elevated 0.0
La Paz County, AZ 54.5 Elevated -0.0
Scurry County, TX 54.5 Elevated +0.0
Scott County, VA 54.5 Elevated +0.0
Banks County, GA 54.4 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sabine 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 Sabine 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 Sabine County, Texas?

    Sabine County has a County Distress Index score of 54.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,313th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 170th in Texas out of 254 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sabine County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sabine County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 80.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Sabine County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sabine County (54.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: San Augustine County, TX (75.4); Sabine Parish, LA (63.9); Jasper 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 Elevated 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). Sabine County's score of 54.5 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Sabine 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 Sabine County?

    Sabine County, Texas has a population of approximately 10,106 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.