#591 Oklahoma · 2026

Osage County, Oklahoma

Most distressed fifth 591st of 3,144 counties nationally · 46,130 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
8% Osage residents
vs.
5% U.S. median

Above the national median for auto loan delinquency.

Urban Institute (2024)

Main Findings

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Osage County, Oklahoma ranks 591st most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 8% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due — above the national median of 5%.

Key Findings
  • 591st of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 23rd in Oklahoma.
  • 8% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Auto loan delinquency at the 80th percentile nationally.
  • Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 71st percentile.
  • Debt in collections at 31% — national median 23%, ranked at the 77th percentile.
  • Disability rate at 21% — national median 16%, ranked at the 84th percentile.
Distinctive Signals
Boundary Signal

Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 22-point drop to Cowley County, KS marks a cross-border distress gradient.

County Distress Index cluster map. Osage County, Oklahoma and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Osage and its 7 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Osage County ranks 591st of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 22 words

"Osage County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 29 words

"The CDI places this county in the most distressed fifth nationally. The rank is the important geography signal: it compares the county with every other county-equivalent in the release."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Osage County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Osage 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 Osage County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Osage OK median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 78 · Rank 587 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 8% 7% 5% 80th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 8% 6% 5% 80th Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 30% 30% 23% 74th Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 70 · Rank 731 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 31% 31% 23% 77th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 160 147 126 63rd US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 58 · Rank 1,190 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 24% 21% 21% 73rd HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 17% 16% 18% 43rd Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 71 · Rank 928 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 4% 4% 4% 71st BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 62 · Rank 1,107 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 19% 23% 18% 55th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 21% 20% 16% 84th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 14% 17% 14% 56th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 26% 30% 27% 43rd BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 12% 14% 8% 74th 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.

Delinquency Primary driver 78
Weight 20% · Rank 587 of 3,144
Labor 71
Weight 20% · Rank 928 of 3,144
Default & Legal 70
Weight 20% · Rank 731 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 62
Weight 20% · Rank 1,107 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 58
Weight 20% · Rank 1,190 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 Osage 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
Draft wire copy 147-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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PAWHUSKA, Okla. — Osage County ranks 591st 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 68 out of 100 places Osage in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 590 counties rank more distressed. Within Oklahoma, Osage ranks 23rd 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 delinquency as the primary driver in Osage. 8% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due — above the national median of 5%.

"Osage County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated," 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 Osage County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Osage County scores 68 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the most distressed fifth. It ranks 591st of 3,144 U.S. counties and 23rd of 77 Oklahoma counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Osage County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Delinquency, at a domain score of 78. Auto loan delinquency ranks at the 80th percentile nationally.

How does Osage County compare to its neighbors?

Osage County's neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Pawnee County (68.11, Most distressed fifth). Lowest: Cowley County, KS (46.48, Middle 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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