Pittsburg County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.9 | 43,479 people · 19th most distressed in Oklahoma
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Pittsburg County, OK shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.9 — 497th 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 19th of 77 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Pittsburg County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 79.0 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 79.0
Unemployment Rate 76
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 70
Child Poverty Rate 77
Disability Rate 92
Transfer Income Dependency 81
Consumer Credit Distress 72.8
Debt in Collections 82
Medical Debt 71
Auto Loan Delinquency 62
Credit Card Delinquency 65
Uninsured Rate 88
Subprime Credit Population 74
Housing Cost Burden 62.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 70
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 25
Homeownership Rate 65
Legal Distress 58.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 59
Economic Vitality 46.7
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 25
Rent-to-Income Ratio 58
Business Formation Rate 65
House Price Change (YoY) 90

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Pittsburg County
Pittsburg County, OK 67.9 Serious —
McIntosh County, OK 71.9 Serious +4.0
Atoka County, OK 68.7 Serious +0.8
Pushmataha County, OK 65.4 Serious -2.5
Latimer County, OK 65.3 Serious -2.6
Haskell County, OK 65.3 Serious -2.7
Hughes County, OK 63.2 Elevated -4.7
Coal County, OK 50.0 Elevated -17.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Pittsburg County
Arkansas County, AR 67.9 Serious -0.0
Montague County, TX 67.9 Serious -0.0
Jackson County, KY 67.9 Serious -0.0
Adams County, OH 67.9 Serious -0.0
Simpson County, KY 68.0 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Pittsburg County has a County Distress Index score of 67.9 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 497th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 19th in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pittsburg County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pittsburg County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 79.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Pittsburg County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pittsburg County (67.9) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: McIntosh County, OK (71.9); Atoka County, OK (68.7); Pushmataha County, OK (65.4).

  • 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). Pittsburg County's score of 67.9 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Pittsburg 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 Pittsburg County?

    Pittsburg County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 43,479 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.