Alfalfa County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.6 | 5,673 people · 67th most distressed in Oklahoma
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Alfalfa County, OK falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.6 — 1735th 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 Oklahoma, it ranks 67th of 77 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Alfalfa County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 67.4 — above the national median.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 67.4
Debt in Collections 56
Medical Debt 81
Auto Loan Delinquency 68
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Uninsured Rate 70
Subprime Credit Population 47
Structural Poverty 54.6
Unemployment Rate 27
Poverty Rate 85
Income vs. State Median 44
Child Poverty Rate 67
Disability Rate 66
Transfer Income Dependency 45
Economic Vitality 40.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 22
Rent-to-Income Ratio 34
Business Formation Rate 87
House Price Change (YoY) 62
Housing Cost Burden 18.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 13
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 25
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 25
Legal Distress 5.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Alfalfa County
Alfalfa County, OK 47.6 Normal —
Garfield County, OK 60.0 Elevated +12.3
Woods County, OK 50.4 Elevated +2.7
Grant County, OK 44.4 Normal -3.3
Harper County, KS 39.0 Normal -8.7
Major County, OK 35.4 Normal -12.3
Barber County, KS 30.8 Healthy -16.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Alfalfa County
Mineral County, MT 47.7 Normal +0.0
Cameron County, PA 47.6 Normal -0.0
Concho County, TX 47.6 Normal -0.0
Hemphill County, TX 47.5 Normal -0.1
Grundy County, MO 47.5 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Alfalfa County, Oklahoma?

    Alfalfa County has a County Distress Index score of 47.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,735th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 67th in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Alfalfa County?

    The primary driver of distress in Alfalfa County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 67.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Alfalfa County compare to neighboring counties?

    Alfalfa County (47.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Garfield County, OK (60.0); Woods County, OK (50.4); Grant County, OK (44.4).

  • 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 Normal 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). Alfalfa County's score of 47.6 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Alfalfa 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 Alfalfa County?

    Alfalfa County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 5,673 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.