Cotton County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.4 | 5,427 people · 34th most distressed in Oklahoma
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Cotton County, OK registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.4 — 539th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Oklahoma, it ranks 34th 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. Cotton County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 75.2 — worse than roughly 75% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 75.2
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 92
Student Loan Delinquency 77
Auto Loan Delinquency 71
Credit Card Delinquency 36
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 80
Income & Poverty 71.5
Poverty Rate 75
Income vs. State Median 66
Child Poverty Rate 74
Community Vulnerability 70.7
Uninsured Rate 46
Disability Rate 95
Employment & Wages 64.6
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 58
Business Formation Rate 95
Housing Cost Burden 39.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 26
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 52
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 44
Homeownership Rate 21
Rent-to-Income Ratio 57

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cotton County
Cotton County, OK 64.4 Elevated —
Tillman County, OK 73.2 Serious +8.8
Comanche County, OK 70.7 Serious +6.4
Jefferson County, OK 70.7 Serious +6.4
Wichita County, TX 67.2 Serious +2.8
Stephens County, OK 57.5 Elevated -6.9
Clay County, TX 55.7 Elevated -8.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cotton County
Coleman County, TX 64.2 Elevated -0.2
Perry County, TN 64.2 Elevated -0.2
Wilcox County, GA 64.2 Elevated -0.2
Johnson County, GA 64.2 Elevated -0.2
Stephens County, TX 64.2 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cotton County

Find an Attorney

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 Cotton County residents at no cost.

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

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Oklahoma →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Cotton County has a County Distress Index score of 64.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 539th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 34th in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cotton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cotton County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 75.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Cotton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cotton County (64.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Tillman County, OK (73.2); Comanche County, OK (70.7); Jefferson County, OK (70.7).

  • 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 Cotton County?

    Cotton County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 5,427 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.