Ottawa County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Serious · 71.5 | 30,287 people · 10th most distressed in Oklahoma
American Default Research

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Ottawa County, OK shows significant household financial distress with a score of 71.5 — 333rd 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 10th of 77 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Ottawa County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 82.3 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 82.3
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 97
Auto Loan Delinquency 80
Credit Card Delinquency 51
Uninsured Rate 91
Subprime Credit Population 86
Structural Poverty 81.2
Unemployment Rate 58
Poverty Rate 90
Income vs. State Median 80
Child Poverty Rate 84
Disability Rate 87
Transfer Income Dependency 83
Legal Distress 72.4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 72
Economic Vitality 52.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 49
Rent-to-Income Ratio 67
Business Formation Rate 22
House Price Change (YoY) 83
Housing Cost Burden 50.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 46
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 40
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 58
Homeownership Rate 79

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Ottawa County
Ottawa County, OK 71.5 Serious —
Delaware County, OK 68.3 Serious -3.2
Craig County, OK 57.7 Elevated -13.8
McDonald County, MO 55.8 Elevated -15.7
Cherokee County, KS 51.0 Elevated -20.4
Newton County, MO 45.6 Normal -25.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Ottawa County
Leake County, MS 71.5 Serious +0.0
Union County, SC 71.4 Serious -0.0
Sussex County, VA 71.4 Serious -0.1
Bleckley County, GA 71.6 Serious +0.1
Howard County, AR 71.6 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Ottawa County

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Oklahoma Bar Association Lawyer Referral 405-416-7000

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Ottawa County has a County Distress Index score of 71.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 333rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ottawa County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ottawa County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 82.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Ottawa County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ottawa County (71.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Delaware County, OK (68.3); Craig County, OK (57.7); McDonald County, MO (55.8).

  • 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 Serious 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). Ottawa County's score of 71.5 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Ottawa 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 Ottawa County?

    Ottawa County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 30,287 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.