#177 Top 500 Most Distressed Counties · 2026

McIntosh County, Oklahoma

Most distressed fifth 177th of 3,144 counties nationally · 19,603 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
25% McIntosh residents
vs.
16% U.S. median

Above the national median for disability rate — and 8.8× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (San Juan County, CO — 3%).

Census ACS 5-yr (2023)

Main Findings

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McIntosh County, Oklahoma ranks 177th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 25% of residents report a disability — above the national median of 16%.

Key Findings
  • 177th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 5th in Oklahoma.
  • 25% of residents report a disability (U.S. median 16%). Disability rate at the 95th percentile nationally.
  • Unemployment at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 88th percentile.
  • Bankruptcy filing rate at 224 — national median 126, ranked at the 81st percentile.
  • Credit card delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 82nd percentile.
County Distress Index cluster map. McIntosh County, Oklahoma and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
McIntosh and its 6 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. McIntosh County ranks 177th of 3,144. American Default Research
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"McIntosh County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 29 words

"The CDI places this county in the most distressed fifth nationally. The rank is the important geography signal: it compares the county with every other county-equivalent in the release."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

Reporter's Notes

Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.

Reporting hook
Child poverty at 28% — 1.6× the national median

28% of children under 18 in McIntosh 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 McIntosh County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. McIntosh County's value shown alongside OK's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is McIntosh County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator McIntosh OK median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 75 · Rank 671 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 6% 7% 5% 67th 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 31% 30% 23% 76th Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 79 · Rank 461 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 31% 31% 23% 77th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 224 147 126 81st US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 60 · Rank 1,126 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 24% 21% 21% 75th HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 17% 16% 18% 44th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 88 · Rank 387 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 5% 4% 4% 88th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 90 · Rank 54 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 28% 23% 18% 87th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 25% 20% 16% 95th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 19% 17% 14% 83rd Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 46% 30% 27% 95th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 22% 14% 8% 95th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Safety Net & Buffer Primary driver 90
Weight 20% · Rank 54 of 3,144
Labor 88
Weight 20% · Rank 387 of 3,144
Default & Legal 79
Weight 20% · Rank 461 of 3,144
Delinquency 75
Weight 20% · Rank 671 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 60
Weight 20% · Rank 1,126 of 3,144

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 McIntosh County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
Draft wire copy 146-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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EUFAULA, Okla. — McIntosh County ranks 177th 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 78 out of 100 places McIntosh in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 176 counties rank more distressed. Within Oklahoma, McIntosh ranks fifth 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 McIntosh. 25% of residents report a disability — above the national median of 16%.

"McIntosh County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is McIntosh County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

McIntosh County scores 78 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the most distressed fifth. It ranks 177th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 5th of 77 Oklahoma counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives McIntosh County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer, at a domain score of 90. Disability rate ranks at the 95th percentile nationally.

How does McIntosh County compare to its neighbors?

McIntosh County's neighbors span 1 CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Muskogee County (80.79, Most distressed fifth). Lowest: Haskell County (71.68, Most distressed fifth).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 16 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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