Payne County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.6 | 83,352 people · 28th most distressed in Oklahoma
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Payne County, OK registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.6 — 665th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Oklahoma, it ranks 28th 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. Payne County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 93.0 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 93.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 99
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 46
Homeownership Rate 99
Consumer Credit Distress 62.5
Debt in Collections 68
Medical Debt 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 50
Credit Card Delinquency 39
Uninsured Rate 75
Subprime Credit Population 61
Structural Poverty 48.1
Unemployment Rate 45
Poverty Rate 91
Income vs. State Median 47
Child Poverty Rate 61
Disability Rate 26
Transfer Income Dependency 29
Economic Vitality 46.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Rent-to-Income Ratio 57
Business Formation Rate 60
House Price Change (YoY) 27
Legal Distress 45.6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 46

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Payne County
Payne County, OK 64.6 Elevated —
Lincoln County, OK 61.6 Elevated -3.0
Pawnee County, OK 61.4 Elevated -3.2
Creek County, OK 60.9 Elevated -3.7
Logan County, OK 54.0 Elevated -10.6
Noble County, OK 51.3 Elevated -13.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Payne County
Jackson County, MS 64.6 Elevated -0.0
Mohave County, AZ 64.7 Elevated +0.0
Mercer County, WV 64.6 Elevated -0.0
Kershaw County, SC 64.7 Elevated +0.0
Gila County, AZ 64.7 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Payne County has a County Distress Index score of 64.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 665th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 28th in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Payne County?

    The primary driver of distress in Payne County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 93.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Payne County compare to neighboring counties?

    Payne County (64.6) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Lincoln County, OK (61.6); Pawnee County, OK (61.4); Creek County, OK (60.9).

  • 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). Payne County's score of 64.6 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Payne 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 Payne County?

    Payne County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 83,352 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.