Kiowa County, Oklahoma
Above the national median for disability rate — and 7.8× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (San Juan County, CO — 3%).
Main Findings
Kiowa County, Oklahoma ranks 974th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 22% of residents report a disability — above the national median of 16%.
- 974th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 43rd in Oklahoma.
- 22% of residents report a disability (U.S. median 16%). Disability rate at the 91st percentile nationally.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 25% — national median 21%, ranked at the 81st percentile.
- Debt in collections at 37% — national median 23%, ranked at the 89th percentile.
- Credit card delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 82nd percentile.
Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 26-point drop to Jackson County marks where the Oklahoma distress corridor ends.
"Kiowa County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."
"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
Kiowa County's auto loan delinquency indicator is at the 5th percentile — while every other indicator in the delinquency domain sits at or above the 63rd percentile. The gap stands out against the other credit indicators. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Hobart.
30% of children under 18 in Kiowa County live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
The Indicators Behind Kiowa County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Kiowa County's value shown alongside OK's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Kiowa | OK median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 50 · Rank 1,551 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 2% | 7% | 5% | 5th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 6% | 5% | 82nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 27% | 30% | 23% | 63rd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 54 · Rank 1,338 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 37% | 31% | 23% | 89th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 71 | 147 | 126 | 20th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 67 · Rank 824 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 25% | 21% | 21% | 81st | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 18% | 16% | 18% | 53rd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 43 · Rank 1,808 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 4% | 4% | 43rd | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 88 · Rank 118 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 30% | 23% | 18% | 91st | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 22% | 20% | 16% | 91st | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 22% | 17% | 14% | 90th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 38% | 30% | 27% | 90th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 11% | 14% | 8% | 71st | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Kiowa County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 152-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
HOBART, Okla. — Kiowa County ranks 974th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 61 out of 100 places Kiowa in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 973 counties rank more distressed. Within Oklahoma, Kiowa ranks 43rd of 77 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies safety net & buffer as the primary driver in Kiowa. 22% of residents report a disability — above the national median of 16%.
"Kiowa County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kiowa County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Kiowa County's distress score?
How does Kiowa County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Kiowa County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →