Pawnee County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.4 | 15,864 people · 37th most distressed in Oklahoma
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Pawnee County, OK registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.4 — 857th 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 37th of 77 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Pawnee County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 73.8 — above the national median.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 73.8
Unemployment Rate 69
Poverty Rate 74
Income vs. State Median 66
Child Poverty Rate 71
Disability Rate 70
Transfer Income Dependency 88
Consumer Credit Distress 71.6
Debt in Collections 81
Medical Debt 93
Auto Loan Delinquency 28
Credit Card Delinquency 77
Uninsured Rate 84
Subprime Credit Population 75
Legal Distress 66.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 67
Economic Vitality 58.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 63
Rent-to-Income Ratio 66
Business Formation Rate 58
House Price Change (YoY) 5
Housing Cost Burden 31.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 26
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 35
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 43
Homeownership Rate 28

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Pawnee County
Pawnee County, OK 61.4 Elevated —
Payne County, OK 64.6 Elevated +3.2
Osage County, OK 62.7 Elevated +1.3
Tulsa County, OK 61.8 Elevated +0.4
Creek County, OK 60.9 Elevated -0.5
Noble County, OK 51.3 Elevated -10.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Pawnee County
Union Parish, LA 61.4 Elevated +0.0
Reeves County, TX 61.4 Elevated +0.0
Charlotte County, VA 61.4 Elevated +0.0
Winchester city, VA 61.4 Elevated -0.0
Saluda County, SC 61.4 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Pawnee County has a County Distress Index score of 61.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 857th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 37th in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pawnee County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pawnee County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 73.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Pawnee County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pawnee County (61.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Payne County, OK (64.6); Osage County, OK (62.7); Tulsa County, OK (61.8).

  • 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). Pawnee County's score of 61.4 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Pawnee 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 Pawnee County?

    Pawnee County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 15,864 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.