Johnston County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.1 | 10,216 people · 46th most distressed in Oklahoma
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Johnston County, OK registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.1 — 1013th 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 46th of 77 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Johnston County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 83.0 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 83.0
Unemployment Rate 83
Poverty Rate 85
Income vs. State Median 76
Child Poverty Rate 79
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 83
Legal Distress 73.6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 74
Consumer Credit Distress 66.3
Debt in Collections 67
Medical Debt 79
Auto Loan Delinquency 69
Credit Card Delinquency 23
Uninsured Rate 85
Subprime Credit Population 83
Economic Vitality 61.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 51
Rent-to-Income Ratio 63
Business Formation Rate 67
House Price Change (YoY) 95
Housing Cost Burden 23.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 15
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 11
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 27
Homeownership Rate 70

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Johnston County
Johnston County, OK 59.1 Elevated —
Bryan County, OK 72.8 Serious +13.7
Atoka County, OK 68.7 Serious +9.6
Carter County, OK 67.7 Serious +8.6
Murray County, OK 54.6 Elevated -4.5
Marshall County, OK 53.2 Elevated -5.9
Pontotoc County, OK 50.5 Elevated -8.6
Coal County, OK 50.0 Elevated -9.0

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Johnston County
Franklin County, KS 59.1 Elevated -0.0
Franklin County, AL 59.1 Elevated -0.0
Roosevelt County, MT 59.1 Elevated -0.0
Hopkins County, KY 59.0 Elevated -0.1
Bledsoe County, TN 59.1 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Johnston County has a County Distress Index score of 59.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,013th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 46th in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Johnston County?

    The primary driver of distress in Johnston County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 83.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Johnston County compare to neighboring counties?

    Johnston County (59.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Bryan County, OK (72.8); Atoka County, OK (68.7); Carter County, OK (67.7).

  • 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). Johnston County's score of 59.1 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Johnston 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 Johnston County?

    Johnston County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 10,216 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.