Ellis County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.2 | 3,648 people · 42nd most distressed in Oklahoma
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Ellis County, OK registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.2 — 938th 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 42nd 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. Ellis County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 76.1 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 76.1
Debt in Collections 87
Medical Debt 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 68
Credit Card Delinquency 67
Uninsured Rate 83
Subprime Credit Population 64
Legal Distress 54.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 55
Structural Poverty 47.4
Unemployment Rate 30
Poverty Rate 54
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 55
Disability Rate 82
Transfer Income Dependency 27
Economic Vitality 47.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 47
Rent-to-Income Ratio 35
Business Formation Rate 59
House Price Change (YoY) 62
Housing Cost Burden 41.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 24
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 77
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 26
Homeownership Rate 10

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Ellis County
Ellis County, OK 60.2 Elevated —
Woodward County, OK 48.3 Normal -11.9
Hemphill County, TX 47.5 Normal -12.7
Dewey County, OK 40.8 Normal -19.4
Harper County, OK 37.7 Normal -22.5
Roger Mills County, OK 37.1 Normal -23.1
Lipscomb County, TX 29.0 Healthy -31.2
Beaver County, OK 28.9 Healthy -31.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Ellis County
Mineral County, NV 60.3 Elevated +0.0
Graham County, NC 60.1 Elevated -0.1
Robertson County, KY 60.1 Elevated -0.1
Leslie County, KY 59.9 Elevated -0.3
Iron County, MO 59.8 Elevated -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Ellis 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 Ellis 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 Ellis County, Oklahoma?

    Ellis County has a County Distress Index score of 60.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 938th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 42nd in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ellis County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ellis County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 76.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Ellis County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ellis County (60.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Woodward County, OK (48.3); Hemphill County, TX (47.5); Dewey County, OK (40.8).

  • 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). Ellis County's score of 60.2 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Ellis 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 Ellis County?

    Ellis County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 3,648 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.