Ottawa County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Serious · 71.2 | 30,287 people · 13th most distressed in Oklahoma
American Default Research

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Ottawa County, OK shows significant household financial distress with a score of 71.2 — 153rd 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 13th of 77 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ottawa County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 89.2 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 89.2
Uninsured Rate 91
Disability Rate 87
Income & Poverty 84.7
Poverty Rate 90
Income vs. State Median 80
Child Poverty Rate 84
Debt & Delinquency 80.8
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 97
Student Loan Delinquency 92
Auto Loan Delinquency 80
Credit Card Delinquency 51
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 72
Housing Cost Burden 58.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 46
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 40
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 58
Homeownership Rate 79
Rent-to-Income Ratio 67
Employment & Wages 43.0
Unemployment Rate 58
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 49
Business Formation Rate 22

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Ottawa County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ottawa County
Ottawa County, OK 71.2 Serious —
Delaware County, OK 72.1 Serious +1.0
Craig County, OK 65.9 Serious -5.3
McDonald County, MO 59.7 Elevated -11.5
Cherokee County, KS 53.0 Elevated -18.1
Newton County, MO 43.8 Normal -27.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ottawa County
Jones County, TX 71.1 Serious -0.0
Worth County, GA 71.1 Serious -0.0
Brown County, TX 71.1 Serious -0.1
Crittenden County, AR 71.2 Serious +0.1
Tyler County, TX 71.0 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Ottawa 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

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Legal aid organizations serving Ottawa 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 Ottawa County, Oklahoma?

    Ottawa County has a County Distress Index score of 71.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 153rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 13th in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ottawa County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ottawa County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 89.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Ottawa County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ottawa County (71.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Delaware County, OK (72.1); Craig County, OK (65.9); McDonald County, MO (59.7).

  • 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 Ottawa County?

    Ottawa County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 30,287 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.