Sequoyah County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Serious · 75.0 | 40,291 people · 3rd most distressed in Oklahoma
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Sequoyah County, OK shows significant household financial distress with a score of 75.0 — 186th 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 3rd of 77 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Sequoyah County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 88.1 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 88.1
Unemployment Rate 72
Poverty Rate 91
Income vs. State Median 83
Child Poverty Rate 94
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 91
Consumer Credit Distress 84.0
Debt in Collections 89
Medical Debt 96
Auto Loan Delinquency 73
Credit Card Delinquency 78
Uninsured Rate 93
Subprime Credit Population 82
Legal Distress 76.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 77
Economic Vitality 71.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 78
Rent-to-Income Ratio 70
Business Formation Rate 67
House Price Change (YoY) 56
Housing Cost Burden 48.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 39
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 49
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 56
Homeownership Rate 66

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Sequoyah County
Sequoyah County, OK 75.0 Serious —
Muskogee County, OK 76.3 Serious +1.4
Adair County, OK 74.9 Serious -0.1
Le Flore County, OK 70.5 Serious -4.5
Cherokee County, OK 68.1 Serious -6.9
Haskell County, OK 65.3 Serious -9.7
Sebastian County, AR 61.7 Elevated -13.3
Crawford County, AR 60.5 Elevated -14.5

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Sequoyah County
Bibb County, AL 75.0 Serious +0.0
Washington Parish, LA 75.0 Serious +0.0
Bristol city, VA 74.9 Serious -0.1
Hamilton County, FL 74.9 Serious -0.1
Adair County, OK 74.9 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Sequoyah County has a County Distress Index score of 75.0 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 186th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 3rd in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sequoyah County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sequoyah County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 88.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Sequoyah County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sequoyah County (75.0) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Muskogee County, OK (76.3); Adair County, OK (74.9); Le Flore County, OK (70.5).

  • 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). Sequoyah County's score of 75.0 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Sequoyah 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 Sequoyah County?

    Sequoyah County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 40,291 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.