Cherokee County, Oklahoma
More than double the national median for uninsured rate.
Main Findings
Cherokee County, Oklahoma ranks 399th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 19% of residents lack health insurance — more than double the national median of 8%. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
- 399th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 72.4 · high county distress, 20th in Oklahoma.
- 19% of residents lack health insurance (U.S. median 8%). Uninsured rate at the 96th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 73rd percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Subprime credit share at 34% — national median 23%, ranked at the 85th percentile. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025).
- Debt in collections at 32% — national median 23%, ranked at the 79th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 31-point drop to Wagoner County marks where the Oklahoma distress corridor ends.
Cherokee County has a high county distress score. The score label gives the intensity; the rank gives the national position.
The CDI gives this county a high county distress label. The rank belongs beside the score because the two answer different questions: score intensity and national position. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Cherokee County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Cherokee County's value shown alongside OK's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Cherokee | OK median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 72 · Rank 778 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 7% | 5% | 71st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 6% | 5% | 60th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 34% | 30% | 23% | 85th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 67 · Rank 836 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 32% | 31% | 23% | 79th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 139 | 147 | 126 | 56th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 65 · Rank 908 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 23% | 21% | 21% | 63rd | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 20% | 16% | 18% | 67th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 73 · Rank 823 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 73rd | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 85 · Rank 211 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 24% | 23% | 18% | 77th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 21% | 20% | 16% | 84th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 19% | 17% | 14% | 81st | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 19% | 14% | 8% | 96th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
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), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Cherokee County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 130-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Cherokee County ranks 399th 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 72.4 out of 100 gives Cherokee a high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 398 counties rank more distressed. Within Oklahoma, Cherokee ranks 20th of 77 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 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 Cherokee. 19% of residents lack health insurance — more than double the national median of 8%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cherokee County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Cherokee County's distress score?
How does Cherokee County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Cherokee County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →