Cherokee County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.0 | 48,185 people · 24th most distressed in Oklahoma
American Default Research

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Cherokee County, OK shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.0 — 311th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Oklahoma, it ranks 24th of 77 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cherokee County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 89.8 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 89.8
Uninsured Rate 96
Disability Rate 84
Income & Poverty 77.4
Poverty Rate 81
Income vs. State Median 74
Child Poverty Rate 77
Debt & Delinquency 69.7
Debt in Collections 79
Medical Debt 88
Student Loan Delinquency 64
Auto Loan Delinquency 71
Credit Card Delinquency 60
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 56
Housing Cost Burden 56.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 42
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 67
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 27
Homeownership Rate 82
Rent-to-Income Ratio 63
Employment & Wages 46.7
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 32
Business Formation Rate 63

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Cherokee County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cherokee County
Cherokee County, OK 68.0 Serious —
Sequoyah County, OK 79.2 Serious +11.2
Adair County, OK 77.2 Serious +9.2
Muskogee County, OK 74.4 Serious +6.4
Delaware County, OK 72.1 Serious +4.1
Mayes County, OK 59.2 Elevated -8.9
Wagoner County, OK 45.2 Normal -22.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cherokee County
Adams County, MS 68.0 Serious +0.0
Lawrence County, KY 68.0 Serious -0.0
McDowell County, WV 68.0 Serious -0.0
Poinsett County, AR 68.1 Serious +0.0
Colquitt County, GA 68.1 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cherokee County

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Oklahoma Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Oklahoma Bar Association Lawyer Referral 405-416-7000

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Cherokee County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma 1-888-534-5243

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Cherokee County has a County Distress Index score of 68.0 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 311th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 24th in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cherokee County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cherokee County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 89.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Cherokee County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cherokee County (68.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Sequoyah County, OK (79.2); Adair County, OK (77.2); Muskogee County, OK (74.4).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. 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.

  • What is the population of Cherokee County?

    Cherokee County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 48,185 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.