#644 Oklahoma · 2026

Atoka County, Oklahoma

Second-most distressed fifth 644th of 3,144 counties nationally · 14,525 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
20% Atoka residents
vs.
8% U.S. median

More than double the national median for uninsured rate.

Census ACS 5-yr (2023)

Main Findings

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Atoka County, Oklahoma ranks 644th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 20% of residents lack health insurance — more than double the national median of 8%.

Key Findings
  • 644th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 29th in Oklahoma.
  • 20% of residents lack health insurance (U.S. median 8%). Uninsured rate at the 95th percentile nationally.
  • Credit card delinquency at 9% — national median 5%, ranked at the 89th percentile.
  • Debt in collections at 38% — national median 23%, ranked at the 91st percentile.
  • Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 58th percentile.
County Distress Index cluster map. Atoka County, Oklahoma and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Atoka and its 6 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Atoka County ranks 644th of 3,144. American Default Research
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"Atoka County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 30 words

"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Atoka County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Atoka County's value shown alongside OK's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is Atoka County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Atoka OK median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 83 · Rank 434 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 8% 7% 5% 79th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 9% 6% 5% 89th Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 33% 30% 23% 82nd Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 61 · Rank 1,065 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 38% 31% 23% 91st Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 90 147 126 31st US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 46 · Rank 1,726 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 23% 21% 21% 63rd HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 14% 16% 18% 28th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 58 · Rank 1,312 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 4% 4% 4% 58th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 85 · Rank 231 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 24% 23% 18% 77th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 23% 20% 16% 92nd Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 20% 17% 14% 86th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 36% 30% 27% 87th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 20% 14% 8% 95th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Safety Net & Buffer Primary driver 85
Weight 20% · Rank 231 of 3,144
Delinquency 83
Weight 20% · Rank 434 of 3,144
Default & Legal 61
Weight 20% · Rank 1,065 of 3,144
Labor 58
Weight 20% · Rank 1,312 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 46
Weight 20% · Rank 1,726 of 3,144

Methodology

The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.

Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite Atoka County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
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ATOKA, Okla. — Atoka County ranks 644th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.

The composite score of 67 out of 100 places Atoka in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 643 counties rank more distressed. Within Oklahoma, Atoka ranks 29th of 77 counties.

The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies safety net & buffer as the primary driver in Atoka. 20% of residents lack health insurance — more than double the national median of 8%.

"Atoka County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Atoka County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Atoka County scores 67 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the second-most distressed fifth. It ranks 644th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 29th of 77 Oklahoma counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Atoka County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer, at a domain score of 85. Uninsured rate ranks at the 95th percentile nationally.

How does Atoka County compare to its neighbors?

Atoka County's neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Pittsburg County (72.73, Most distressed fifth). Lowest: Coal County (60.14, Second-most distressed fifth).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 16 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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