Hughes County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.2 | 13,436 people · 31st most distressed in Oklahoma
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Hughes County, OK registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.2 — 764th 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 Oklahoma, it ranks 31st of 77 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Hughes County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 81.9 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 81.9
Unemployment Rate 90
Poverty Rate 94
Income vs. State Median 72
Child Poverty Rate 91
Disability Rate 82
Transfer Income Dependency 72
Consumer Credit Distress 75.2
Debt in Collections 73
Medical Debt 59
Auto Loan Delinquency 82
Credit Card Delinquency 56
Uninsured Rate 94
Subprime Credit Population 91
Legal Distress 67.3
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 67
Economic Vitality 61.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 70
Rent-to-Income Ratio 59
Business Formation Rate 41
House Price Change (YoY) 62
Housing Cost Burden 25.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 13
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 24
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 26
Homeownership Rate 58

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Hughes County
Hughes County, OK 63.2 Elevated —
Seminole County, OK 77.0 Serious +13.8
McIntosh County, OK 71.9 Serious +8.7
Okfuskee County, OK 71.8 Serious +8.6
Pittsburg County, OK 67.9 Serious +4.7
Pontotoc County, OK 50.5 Elevated -12.7
Coal County, OK 50.0 Elevated -13.2

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Hughes County
Gray County, TX 63.2 Elevated +0.0
Roosevelt County, NM 63.2 Elevated -0.0
Clay County, AR 63.2 Elevated -0.0
Clarke County, AL 63.3 Elevated +0.1
Knott County, KY 63.3 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hughes County

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Hughes County has a County Distress Index score of 63.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 764th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 31st in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hughes County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hughes County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 81.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Hughes County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hughes County (63.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Seminole County, OK (77.0); McIntosh County, OK (71.9); Okfuskee County, OK (71.8).

  • 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). Hughes County's score of 63.2 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Hughes 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 Hughes County?

    Hughes County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 13,436 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.