Carter County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.7 | 48,596 people · 20th most distressed in Oklahoma
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Carter County, OK shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.7 — 513th 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 20th of 77 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Carter County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 83.3 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 83.3
Debt in Collections 85
Medical Debt 65
Auto Loan Delinquency 90
Credit Card Delinquency 93
Uninsured Rate 85
Subprime Credit Population 80
Structural Poverty 69.5
Unemployment Rate 89
Poverty Rate 73
Income vs. State Median 49
Child Poverty Rate 73
Disability Rate 91
Transfer Income Dependency 59
Legal Distress 56.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 57
Housing Cost Burden 46.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 43
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 42
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 24
Homeownership Rate 78
Economic Vitality 44.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 35
Rent-to-Income Ratio 63
Business Formation Rate 29
House Price Change (YoY) 68

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Carter County
Carter County, OK 67.7 Serious —
Garvin County, OK 62.6 Elevated -5.1
Stephens County, OK 59.3 Elevated -8.4
Johnston County, OK 59.1 Elevated -8.6
Jefferson County, OK 57.7 Elevated -10.0
Love County, OK 56.2 Elevated -11.5
Murray County, OK 54.6 Elevated -13.1
Marshall County, OK 53.2 Elevated -14.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Carter County
Johnson County, AR 67.7 Serious +0.0
Baker County, FL 67.7 Serious +0.0
Houston County, TX 67.6 Serious -0.1
Berrien County, GA 67.6 Serious -0.1
Crawford County, GA 67.8 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Carter County

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Oklahoma Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Oklahoma Bar Association Lawyer Referral 405-416-7000

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Legal aid organizations serving Carter County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma 1-888-534-5243

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Carter County has a County Distress Index score of 67.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 513th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 20th in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Carter County?

    The primary driver of distress in Carter County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 83.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Carter County compare to neighboring counties?

    Carter County (67.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Garvin County, OK (62.6); Stephens County, OK (59.3); Johnston County, OK (59.1).

  • 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). Carter County's score of 67.7 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Carter 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 Carter County?

    Carter County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 48,596 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.