Custer County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.2 | 28,266 people · 52nd most distressed in Oklahoma
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Custer County, OK registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.2 — 1192nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Oklahoma, it ranks 52nd 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. Custer County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.4 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 89
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 73
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 62
Homeownership Rate 86
Rent-to-Income Ratio 42
Income & Poverty 66.0
Poverty Rate 79
Income vs. State Median 54
Child Poverty Rate 66
Debt & Delinquency 64.7
Debt in Collections 80
Medical Debt 97
Student Loan Delinquency 94
Auto Loan Delinquency 55
Credit Card Delinquency 16
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 47
Community Vulnerability 47.4
Uninsured Rate 74
Disability Rate 20
Employment & Wages 27.5
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 29
Business Formation Rate 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Custer County
Custer County, OK 55.2 Elevated —
Caddo County, OK 68.1 Serious +12.9
Beckham County, OK 62.0 Elevated +6.8
Washita County, OK 58.7 Elevated +3.5
Blaine County, OK 55.2 Elevated +0.0
Roger Mills County, OK 52.3 Elevated -2.9
Dewey County, OK 47.2 Normal -8.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Custer County
Baker County, OR 55.2 Elevated -0.0
Coles County, IL 55.1 Elevated -0.0
Lawrence County, IL 55.1 Elevated -0.0
Muhlenberg County, KY 55.1 Elevated -0.0
George County, MS 55.1 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Custer County

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Oklahoma Bar Association Lawyer Referral 405-416-7000

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Legal aid organizations serving Custer 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 Custer County, Oklahoma?

    Custer County has a County Distress Index score of 55.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,192nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 52nd in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Custer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Custer County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Custer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Custer County (55.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Caddo County, OK (68.1); Beckham County, OK (62.0); Washita County, OK (58.7).

  • 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 Custer County?

    Custer County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 28,266 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.