Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS) vs Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS) (A) and Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 86% and 70% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 81/100 (A) compared to Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) at 66/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 16.1 percentage points (86.2% vs 70.1%). Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS) covers 385,000 participants.
| Metric | Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS) | Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 81/100 (A)* | 66/100 (B) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 86.2%* | 70.1% |
| Total Assets | $39.5B | $31.5B |
| Total Liabilities | $45.8B | $44.9B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $6.3B* | $13.4B |
| Participants | 385,000 | 327,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 6.6%* | 5.5% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | low | moderate |
| Sponsor | Texas Counties | State of Texas |
Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 81/100 (A) compared to Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) at 66/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 16.1 percentage points (86.2% vs 70.1%). Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS) covers 385,000 participants.