Oklahomans owe little, but 18.6% have a debt with a collector, the 5th highest share nationally
Each state is shaded by how distressed its households are, from green (least) to red (most), with data through September 2026. Oklahoma scores 62 out of 100.
Oklahoma's jobs picture turned in 2026: in July, for the first time since 1989, its unemployment rate rose above the nation's. The rate reached 4.3% in August, its highest since June 2021. Oklahomans who file for bankruptcy lean on Chapter 7 more than most: 82.2% of 2025 filings, the 8th highest share nationally. Seminole County, home to Wewoka, is the only Oklahoma county among the nation's 100 most distressed.
- Score
- 62/100
- Data through
- September 2026
- Edition
- October 2026
Next edition expected March 2027
How Oklahoma ranks among the states
Oklahoma ranks 20th on our State Distress Index. Its households borrow little and fall behind often. At the end of 2025, Oklahomans with a credit report owed $43,170 each in household debt, the 5th lowest among the 50 states and D.C. (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). Yet in early 2025, 18.6% of Oklahomans with a credit record had a debt in collections, the 5th highest share (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). That counts how many people are behind, not why.
What drives the score
Four parts make up the score. Each part averages a few measures, and each measure gets a score from 0 to 100 for where Oklahoma falls among the 50 states and D.C. Oklahoma’s four parts average 60. That is higher than the four-part average of 62% of the other states and D.C., so Oklahoma’s score is 62, not 60. A state that scores 80 is more distressed than 80% of the other states and D.C.
- Late payments84In early 2025, 15.7% of card borrowers, 10.0% of car-loan borrowers and 1.5% of mortgage borrowers were 90 or more days behind, each above the U.S. share
- Collections and bankruptcy7818.6% of people with a credit record had a debt in collections in early 2025, and there were 182.0 bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents in 2025, using the 2024 population
- Jobs62Unemployment averaged 4.3% from June to August 2026, above the U.S. rate of 4.1%
- Renters’ housing costs17In 2024, 21.8% of renter households paid half or more of their income for rent and utilities, below the U.S. share of 26.1%
Beside its neighbors
Texas, to the south, and New Mexico, to the west, score higher than Oklahoma. Its other four neighbors score lower: Arkansas, Missouri, Colorado and Kansas.
State Distress Index score, 0 to 100. Jobs split the region the same way. In August 2026 the unemployment rate was 4.7% in New Mexico and 4.4% in Texas, against 4.3% in Oklahoma and between 3.5% and 4.0% in the four neighbors that score lower (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Rising again since early 2025, after a slide through 2024
At its worst
Oklahoma’s highest score, 66, came in the third quarter of 2006, the first quarter of our full history, when it ranked 18th most distressed. It has come closest since in early 2007 and again in mid-2023, both times at 62 and 20th. It was least distressed in 2009 and again in 2011, both times scoring 28 and ranking 37th. In those years its yearly unemployment rate, 6.5% and 5.6%, stayed far below the nation’s 9.3% and 8.9%.
The slide through 2024
The jobs part does the most moving. It measures where a state’s unemployment rate falls among the others, so it can drop while a state’s own rate holds still. That happened in 2024: Oklahoma’s rate stayed low while other states’ rates rose, and by May 2025, at 3.1%, it was tied for 7th lowest among the states. The jobs part fell from 34 in mid-2024 to 16 in early 2025, and Oklahoma ended that stretch tied for 28th most distressed.
Since the chart ends
The chart stops in the first quarter of 2025, at 44. Today Oklahoma scores 62 and ranks 20th. Unemployment rose to 4.3% by August 2026, and the jobs part climbed from 16 to 62. The renters’ costs part fell from 32 to 17 with the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate; the other two parts moved little.
Oklahoma has ranked between 18th and 37th most distressed in every quarter since mid-2006, and was least distressed in 2009 and 2011
Score each quarter on the State Distress Index, 0 to 100, from the third quarter of 2006 to the first quarter of 2025.
Is Oklahoma expensive to live in?
Not for housing, by the measures we hold. The typical Oklahoma rent over 2020 to 2024 was $1,014 a month, the 10th lowest among the 50 states and D.C.; for the U.S. it was $1,413 (Census Bureau). Incomes are low too, yet rent still takes a smaller share than in most states: in 2024, 21.8% of Oklahoma renter households paid half or more of their income for rent and utilities, against 26.1% nationwide. Homeowners, too, spend less of their income on housing than most: 18.1% paid 30% or more of it over 2020 to 2024, the 12th lowest share, against 22.5% nationwide (Census Bureau). We don’t track what groceries, homes, insurance or electricity cost, so we can’t say how Oklahoma’s overall cost of living compares, or whether it is the cheapest state.
Median rent, a month
$1,014
U.S. $1,413
10th lowest among the 50 states and D.C. (2020 to 2024)
Renters paying half their income or more for housing
21.8%
U.S. 26.1%
13th lowest among the 50 states and D.C. (2024)
Basic yearly budget for one adult
$43,119
8th lowest among the 50 states and D.C. (MIT, 2025 dollars)
Oklahoma renters were less likely than U.S. renters to spend half their income on housing in every year the Census Bureau published from 2005 to 2024
Renter households paying half or more of their income for rent and utilities, Oklahoma and the U.S., in percent, 2005 to 2024. There is no 2020 point: the Census Bureau skipped its usual one-year release for that year.
Groceries, income tax and power bills
Oklahoma stopped charging its state sales tax on groceries on Aug. 29, 2024; city and county sales taxes still apply (Oklahoma Tax Commission). The top state income tax rate fell to 4.5% for 2026. Electric rates are set by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission; in June 2026 a settlement of Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s rate request went to it for approval (see what changed).
What MIT says a basic budget costs
The MIT Living Wage Calculator puts yearly basic costs for one adult with no children at $43,119 before taxes. That is the 8th lowest among the 50 states and D.C. For two working parents with two children, it estimates $105,947 (2025 dollars). These are MIT’s estimates, not ours.
Low rents haven’t meant fewer late payments. How many are behind →
How many Oklahomans have fallen behind on their bills?
More than in most states. In early 2025, 22.1% of Oklahomans with a credit record had at least one debt 90 or more days past due, tied for 6th highest among the 50 states and D.C. overall. The share with a debt in collections was 18.6%, the 5th highest. Across the U.S. the shares were 17.2% and 13.2% (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia; the U.S. shares are our average of the states, weighted by population). These are household debts, such as cards, car loans and medical bills, not the state government’s debt.
Oklahoma’s rank among the 50 states and D.C., 1 = the largest share: collections 5th, mortgage tied for 6th, card 12th, auto 12th. We built the U.S. bars by averaging the states, each weighted by its population.
The collections share was far higher at the end of 2019, 27.8%. It fell to 16.7% by the third quarter of 2023 and has risen in every quarter since. That fall doesn’t show that fewer Oklahomans are behind. Part of it had come by early 2022 (22.6%), before the credit bureaus changed what they report. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion announced in 2022 that many medical debts would come off credit reports. Across the country, people with a medical collection on their report went from about 14% of those with a credit record in March 2022 to about 5% in June 2023 (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau).
Measured in dollars, mortgage balances stand out
A second measure, from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, counts dollars instead of people: the share of money owed that is 90 or more days past due. By that count, 1.3% of Oklahoma mortgage balances were seriously late at the end of 2025, tied for 5th highest among the 50 states and D.C., against 0.9% nationally. On cards, 13.3% of balances were that late, up from 8.9% at the end of 2019.
| Loan type | Oklahoma | U.S. | Oklahoma 2019 | U.S. 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgage | 1.3% End of 2025 U.S. 0.9% Oklahoma 2019 1.3% · U.S. 2019 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Credit card | 13.3% End of 2025 U.S. 12.4% Oklahoma 2019 8.9% · U.S. 2019 8.1% | 12.4% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| Auto loan | 5.5% End of 2025 U.S. 5.2% Oklahoma 2019 5.6% · U.S. 2019 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.6% | 4.9% |
Share of balances 90 or more days past due, end of 2025 and end of 2019 (Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax). Because these count dollars rather than people, they don’t match the Philadelphia Fed bars above; they also keep old debts that lenders have written off but still report.
Thin home equity and low credit scores
Mortgages with little equity, the part of a home’s value its owner doesn’t owe to a lender, are more common in Oklahoma than in all but a few states. Early mortgage trouble, credit scores under 620 and cards near their limit are also more common than in most states.
| Measure | Oklahoma | U.S. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgages with less than 10% equity, mid-2026 Tied for 3rd highest | 7.2% U.S. 4.7% | 4.7% | Tied for 3rd highest |
| Mortgages 30 to 89 days late, Sept. 2025 Tied for 7th highest | 2.2% U.S. 1.6% | 1.6% | Tied for 7th highest |
| People with a credit score under 620, early 2025 8th highest | 17.1% U.S. 13.8% | 13.8% | 8th highest |
| Card users near their credit limit, early 2025 9th highest | 31.7% U.S. 26.9% | 26.9% | 9th highest |
Rank 1 is the largest share among the 50 states and D.C. Equity: Federal Housing Finance Agency. Mortgages 30 to 89 days late: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Credit scores and card use: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, with a U.S. figure we averaged from the states by population.
Behind on a mortgage? Free help in Oklahoma →
Where Oklahoma is poorest, and where distress runs deepest
Choctaw County, home to Hugo in the southeast, is Oklahoma’s poorest: in 2024, 26.4% of its residents lived in poverty, the highest rate of the state’s 77 counties. Its typical household earned $39,680, the lowest (Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). On our County Distress Index, which rates how strained household finances are in each of the country’s counties, the most distressed is Seminole County, home to Wewoka. Seminole is the only Oklahoma county among the 100 most distressed in the country. Beaver County, in the Panhandle, is the least distressed in the state.
On data through August 2026, 22 of the 25 Oklahoma counties scoring 80 or more lie east of Oklahoma City, and all six scoring under 30 lie in the northwest
Each of Oklahoma’s 77 counties shaded by its County Distress Index score, 0 to 100, on data through August 2026. A county counts as east of Oklahoma City when its center lies east of the center of Oklahoma County (Census Bureau, 2023 Gazetteer).
Loading the county map…
The county map could not be loaded. Every county is in the lists on this page.
Most distressed
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seminole | 97 | 19.7% |
| 2 | Adair | 95 | 22.4% |
| 3 | Okmulgee | 95 | 19.6% |
| 4 | Muskogee | 94 | 19.6% |
| 5 | Tillman | 93 | 22.2% |
| 6 | McIntosh | 93 | 18.9% |
| 7 | Okfuskee | 93 | 24.3% |
| 8 | Sequoyah | 92 | 19.6% |
| 9 | Carter | 89 | 16.8% |
| 10 | Choctaw | 89 | 26.4% |
Least distressed
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 73 | Major | 27 | 12.5% |
| 74 | Harper | 26 | 11.2% |
| 75 | Roger Mills | 24 | 14.1% |
| 76 | Kingfisher | 23 | 10.9% |
| 77 | Beaver | 15 | 12.5% |
Rank in Oklahoma, 1 = most distressed. We rank on unrounded scores, so counties that print the same score can still rank apart: Tillman, McIntosh and Okfuskee print the same score, as do Carter and Choctaw. The poverty column shows each county’s 2024 rate from the Census Bureau.
Every county, by score
Of the state’s 77 counties, 25 score 80 or more; together they hold 19.3% of Oklahomans. Neither of the two big metro counties is in that group. Oklahoma County, home to Oklahoma City, scores 78, just short of 80; Tulsa County ranks 49th most distressed in the state. Canadian County, just west of Oklahoma City, has the state’s highest household income and lowest poverty rate (Census Bureau, 2024) and ranks 66th most distressed.
25 score 80–100
Seminole, Adair, Okmulgee, Muskogee, Tillman, McIntosh, Okfuskee, Sequoyah, Carter, Choctaw, Le Flore, Hughes, Latimer, Ottawa, Greer, Pottawatomie, McCurtain, Delaware, Haskell, Johnston, Pittsburg, Comanche, Pushmataha, Garvin, Atoka
16 score 70–79
Cherokee, Osage, Oklahoma, Pawnee, Harmon, Creek, Stephens, Cotton, Jefferson, Bryan, Blaine, Beckham, Kay, Kiowa, Nowata, Lincoln
15 score 50–69
Craig, Payne, Love, Mayes, Marshall, Caddo, Coal, Tulsa, Murray, Washington, Washita, Ellis, Jackson, Noble, Garfield
15 score 30–49
Logan, Pontotoc, Grady, Grant, Cleveland, Custer, Woodward, Texas, McClain, Canadian, Cimarron, Alfalfa, Wagoner, Woods, Rogers
6 score 0–29
Why the poorest county isn’t the most distressed
Poverty is only one measure in our County Distress Index. Unlike the state score, which has four parts, the county index has five parts. They are late payments, collections and bankruptcy, jobs, housing costs, and a part covering poverty, child poverty, disability, health insurance and household income. Choctaw County scores highest in the state on that fifth part. But of the 10 most distressed counties it has the lowest scores on jobs and on collections and bankruptcy, so it ranks 10th. Harmon County, in the southwest corner, has the third-highest poverty rate in the state yet scores 77 on distress, short of the 25 counties at 80 or more: its jobs part shows less strain than in most Oklahoma counties. Its unemployment rate was 2.8% in August 2026. Carter County, around Ardmore, runs the other way: its poverty rate is near the middle of the state’s. But it ranks 9th most distressed, and its jobless rate in August 2026, 6.0%, was among Oklahoma’s highest. Other sites may name a different poorest county if they use the American Community Survey or older years; the figures here come from the Census Bureau’s county estimates for 2024.
The Seminole County Courthouse in Wewoka, in December 2014. On our index, Seminole is Oklahoma’s most distressed county. The Census Bureau puts its 2024 poverty rate at 19.7% and its median household income at $50,893.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; American Default Research. Photo: kennethaw88, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
East of Oklahoma City, distress runs deep
Split the state at Oklahoma City and the gap is plain. The 44 counties to the east have a median score of 80; the 32 to the west, 49. The west’s only counties at 80 or more are Tillman, Greer and Comanche, in the southwest. All six of the counties scoring under 30 are in the northwest, from Kingfisher out to Beaver in the Panhandle. Our figures show where distress sits; they don’t say what put it there.
American Default Research, County Distress Index; U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Gazetteer Files. Oklahoma County itself is left out of both halves.
Oklahoma’s tribal nations
The Oklahoma Department of Libraries counts 38 federally recognized tribes headquartered in Oklahoma (its list). In the Census Bureau’s survey for 2020 to 2024, 566,147 Oklahomans, 14.1% of the state, identified as American Indian or Alaska Native, alone or with another race; only Alaska had a larger share. The housing agencies of the Chickasaw Nation and the Choctaw Nation are among Oklahoma’s HUD-approved housing counselors (free help).
Oklahoma Department of Libraries; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey five-year estimates, table B02010; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
How is Oklahoma’s economy doing?
Jobs have weakened since early 2025. Oklahoma’s unemployment rate rose from 3.1% in May 2025 to 4.3% in July and August 2026, its highest since June 2021 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; no figure was published for October 2025). In July and August, for the first time since 1989, its published rate was higher than the U.S. rate, which was 4.1% in August. The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t count that gap as statistically significant, though it does count the rise from a year earlier. Over all of 2025 the rate averaged 3.4%, against 4.3% nationwide (the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual averages, not seasonally adjusted; the monthly chart below is seasonally adjusted and has no October 2025 point). Oklahoma’s yearly rate has been below the nation’s every year since 1990. Incomes are low: income per person was $63,708 in 2024, the 12th lowest among the 50 states and D.C. (Bureau of Economic Analysis). We don’t track jobs by industry.
Unemployment rate, August 2026
4.3%
U.S. 4.1%
Tied for 16th highest among the 50 states and D.C.; 3.4% in August 2025
Unemployment rate, 2025 average
3.4%
U.S. 4.3%
Tied for 10th lowest among the 50 states and D.C. (Bureau of Labor Statistics annual average)
Income per person
$63,708
U.S. $73,204
12th lowest among the 50 states and D.C. (2024)
In July 2026, Oklahoma’s published unemployment rate rose above the nation’s for the first time since 1989
Unemployment rate each month, seasonally adjusted, Oklahoma and the U.S., January 1990 to August 2026. October 2025 has no point because no figures were published for that month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t count Oklahoma’s July and August gap above the U.S. rate as statistically significant.
Filing for unemployment
Claims for unemployment benefits go through the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
Joblessness is highest in Hughes, Love and Carter counties
| County | Rate |
|---|---|
| Hughes | 6.4% |
| Love | 6.4% |
| Carter | 6.0% |
| Seminole | 5.9% |
| McIntosh | 5.9% |
| Tulsa | 4.2% |
| Oklahoma | 4.1% |
| Cleveland | 3.7% |
| Dewey | 2.1% |
Unemployment rate in August 2026, not adjusted for seasonal swings. The first five are the highest in Oklahoma; Tulsa, Oklahoma and Cleveland counties are shown for comparison, and Dewey had Oklahoma’s lowest. Hughes and Love were tied for 103rd highest among the 3,143 U.S. counties with a rate. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Jobs are one side of Oklahoma’s finances; incomes are the other. Is Oklahoma a poor state? →
Is Oklahoma a poor state?
Yes, by the Census Bureau’s measures. In 2024, 14.8% of Oklahomans lived in poverty, 9th highest among the 50 states and D.C., against 12.1% nationwide, and the typical household earned $66,124, the 6th lowest (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). Among its neighbors, only Arkansas had a lower median household income. Oklahoma’s poverty rate has been above the nation’s in every Census estimate we hold since 1989.
Residents in poverty
14.8%
U.S. 12.1%
9th highest among the 50 states and D.C. (2024)
Median household income
$66,124
U.S. $81,604
6th lowest among the 50 states and D.C. (2024)
Children in poverty
18.7%
U.S. 15.5%
9th highest among the 50 states and D.C. (2024)
Every Census estimate we hold since 1989 puts Oklahoma’s poverty rate above the U.S. rate; its peak was 18.3%, in 1993
Share of people in Oklahoma and in the U.S. living below the poverty line, 1989 to 2024. Years without a point: 1990 to 1992 and 1994, when the Census Bureau made no state estimates.
SNAP rolls fell by a fifth in a year
In June 2026, 547,574 Oklahomans, 13.4% of residents, got SNAP food benefits, 7th highest among the 50 states and D.C., against 10.7% nationwide (U.S. Department of Agriculture). That was 20.8% fewer people than the 691,754 of June 2025. The count fell every month over that year, and faster from November 2025. It dropped by 19,995 from June to October 2025, then by 60,018 from October to January. Oklahoma’s limits on buying candy and soft drinks began later, on Feb. 15, 2026. We found no official explanation for the faster fall. A smaller count doesn’t by itself mean smaller need; the latest poverty figures, for 2024, come before the fall.
To apply for SNAP: Oklahoma Human Services, OKDHSLive →
Why is Oklahoma poor? What our figures show
Our data can’t say why, but it shows what comes with low incomes here. Government benefits such as Social Security, Medicare and veterans’ benefits made up 21.4% of Oklahomans’ personal income in 2024, 12th highest among the 50 states and D.C. (Bureau of Economic Analysis). A larger share of Oklahomans than of Americans overall live with a disability or go without health insurance, and a slightly larger share of adults never finished high school.
| Measure | Oklahoma | U.S. | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residents without health insurance 2nd highest | 12.9% U.S. 8.4% | 8.4% | 2nd highest |
| Residents with a disability 5th highest | 17.2% U.S. 13.3% | 13.3% | 5th highest |
| Adults without a high school diploma Tied for 13th highest | 10.6% U.S. 10.4% | 10.4% | Tied for 13th highest |
Rank 1 is the largest share among the 50 states and D.C. Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey, five-year figures for 2020 to 2024. Oklahoma’s poorest counties →
What changed in Oklahoma in the past year
-
Sept. 1, 2026
SoonerCare posts notice of coverage changes under a federal law
The Oklahoma Health Care Authority, which runs SoonerCare, the state’s Medicaid program, published notice of changes under a 2025 federal law. The notice said that from Oct. 1, 2026, full SoonerCare coverage paid with federal money would generally cover only U.S. citizens and nationals, lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian entrants and certain Pacific Island migrants, pending federal approval. As of Oct. 16, the authority’s rule page still gave Oct. 1 only as the requested start date. A work requirement and six-month renewals for adults in the Medicaid expansion group are planned for Jan. 1, 2027 (see what to watch).
Oklahoma Health Care Authority, public notice, Sept. 1, 2026
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June 30, 2026
A settlement would shrink a proposed electric rate increase
Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced a settlement with Public Service Company of Oklahoma that, by his office’s figures, cuts the utility’s proposed residential rate increase from about 15% to 1%, or about $2.45 a month for the average home. His office said the agreement is subject to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s approval.
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Feb. 15, 2026
SNAP stops covering candy and soft drinks
Under a federal waiver the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved for Oklahoma, SNAP food benefits can’t be spent on candy or soft drinks from Feb. 15, 2026. The start had first been set for Jan. 1.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Oklahoma’s food restriction waiver
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Jan. 28, 2026
Health plan sign-ups on HealthCare.gov fall for 2026
Oklahomans chose 261,887 marketplace plans for 2026, 15.0% fewer than the 307,989 chosen for 2025 (our calculation from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ counts; CMS, 2025 count). A sign-up isn’t proof that someone paid for coverage. Over 2020 to 2024, Oklahoma’s share of residents without health insurance, 12.9%, was already the 2nd highest in the country (Census Bureau).
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Jan. 1, 2026
Oklahoma’s top income tax rate goes down
Starting with tax year 2026, the top state income tax rate fell from 4.75% to 4.5% under House Bill 2764, signed May 28, 2025 (Oklahoma Legislature). The Oklahoma Tax Commission’s withholding tables for 2026, in effect from Jan. 1, use the new rate.
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Nov. 13, 2025
November SNAP benefits are held up, then paid in full
During the federal shutdown, Oklahoma Human Services said on Oct. 21 that federal SNAP funding would be suspended from Nov. 1 (Oklahoma Human Services, Oct. 21, 2025). After the government reopened, new federal guidance let the agency issue full November benefits.
How many Oklahomans file for bankruptcy?
In 2025, Oklahomans filed 7,453 bankruptcy cases, 182.0 for every 100,000 residents (using the 2024 population). That is 18th highest among the 50 states and D.C., above the U.S. rate of 167.1 (U.S. Courts). What sets Oklahoma apart is the kind of case. Of its filings, 82.2% were Chapter 7, the 8th highest share, against 62.4% nationwide, and its Chapter 7 filing rate was the 4th highest in the country. We found no study that explains why Oklahomans lean so heavily toward Chapter 7, so we leave the reason open.
Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents
182.0
U.S. 167.1
18th highest among the 50 states and D.C. (2025, using the 2024 population)
Chapter 7 filings per 100,000 residents
149.6
U.S. 104.3
4th highest among the 50 states and D.C. (2025, using the 2024 population)
Chapter 13 filings per 100,000 residents
31.7
U.S. 60.0
31st highest among the 50 states and D.C. (2025, using the 2024 population)
Filings dropped to 5,143 in 2022 and have risen every year since, to 7,453 in 2025. The 12 months from July 2025 to June 2026 brought 7,877, more than in any calendar year from 2020 through 2025, though fewer than the 9,552 of 2019 (U.S. Courts, Table F-2). Free and low-cost legal help is listed in Free help in Oklahoma.
Does foreclosure go through court in Oklahoma?
Yes, unless the mortgage gives the lender a power of sale. In a court case, the lender sues in district court and, if it wins, the county sheriff sells the home (12 O.S. § 686). Federal mortgage servicing rules generally keep a foreclosure from starting until the borrower is more than 120 days behind.
A power of sale lets the lender sell without a lawsuit. First, though, the lender must send a notice giving the owner 35 days to catch up. The owner of a homestead can still insist on the court process by telling the lender so by certified mail at least 10 days before the sale (46 O.S. §§ 43–44). If the mortgage says “appraisement waived,” the court can’t order a sale until six months after its judgment (12 O.S. § 760).
The owner can keep the home by paying what is owed until the foreclosure cuts off the right to redeem. Under a power of sale, that right lasts until the sale is completed (42 O.S. § 18; 46 O.S. § 43). The statutes give no right to buy the home back afterward, and a power-of-sale deed passes “without right of redemption” (46 O.S. § 47). If the sale leaves part of the loan unpaid, the court counts the home’s fair market value, not just the sale price, before the lender can collect the rest (12 O.S. § 686).
- Goes through a court
- Yes, unless power of sale
- Time to catch up under a power of sale
- 35 days
- Homestead owner can demand court
- Yes
- Wait after judgment, appraisement waived
- 6 months
- Right to buy back after the sale
- No
- Unpaid balance counts market value
- Yes
What the law says. Sources: 12 O.S. §§ 686, 759–769; 42 O.S. § 18; 46 O.S. §§ 40–48; federal rule 12 CFR 1024.41. How foreclosure works in Oklahoma →
Oklahoma was awarded $87.1 million from the federal Homeowner Assistance Fund, which had helped 3,862 Oklahoma homeowners through the first quarter of 2026 (U.S. Department of the Treasury; the count takes in homeowners who got housing counseling).
Payment trouble is the top mortgage complaint in Oklahoma
Since the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau began taking complaints in December 2011, Oklahomans have sent it 2,860 about mortgages. The issue named most often was trouble during the payment process (870). Next came loan servicing, payments or escrow (530), then loan modification, collection or foreclosure (465).
- Oct. 4, 2026 Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation Trouble during payment process: Trying to communicate with the company to fix an issue while managing or servicing your loan Closed with explanation
- Sept. 29, 2026 PennyMac Struggling to pay mortgage: Applying for or obtaining a modification, forbearance plan, short sale, or deed-in-lieu Closed with explanation
- Sept. 29, 2026 Lakeview Loan Servicing Trouble during payment process: Escrow, taxes, or insurance Closed with explanation
- Sept. 25, 2026 BOK Financial Corp Trouble during payment process: Payment process Closed with explanation
- Sept. 24, 2026 Bancfirst Corporation Trouble during payment process: Trying to communicate with the company to fix an issue while managing or servicing your loan In progress
- Sept. 22, 2026 MidFirst Bank Struggling to pay mortgage: Trying to communicate with the company to fix an issue related to modification, forbearance, short sale, deed-in-lieu, bankruptcy, or foreclosure In progress
- Sept. 21, 2026 Rocket Mortgage Struggling to pay mortgage: Trying to communicate with the company to fix an issue related to modification, forbearance, short sale, deed-in-lieu, bankruptcy, or foreclosure In progress
- Sept. 16, 2026 Shellpoint / NewRez Trouble during payment process: Fees charged In progress
- Sept. 15, 2026 PNC Bank Trouble during payment process: Escrow, taxes, or insurance In progress
- Sept. 13, 2026 Rocket Mortgage Struggling to pay mortgage: Trying to communicate with the company to fix an issue related to modification, forbearance, short sale, deed-in-lieu, bankruptcy, or foreclosure Closed with explanation
The 10 newest Oklahoma complaints about making mortgage payments or getting help with them, from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s public database as of Oct. 14, 2026. Complaints about taking out a new loan are left out, and so are complaints that name a credit reporting company. The bureau posts what people tell it without checking each account, so a complaint is one person’s side, not a finding against the company. Every Oklahoma mortgage complaint at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau →
What to watch before the next edition
Three dates before the next edition that touch Oklahoma household budgets, nearest first.
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Oct. 20, 2026
State unemployment rates for September
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics releases September’s state jobless rates. Oklahoma’s rate was 4.3% in both July and August, above the U.S. rate in each month.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, October 2026 release schedule
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December 2026
A first look at whether the income tax falls again
Under House Bill 2764, the State Board of Equalization makes a preliminary finding at its December 2026 meeting on whether state revenue grew enough to set off another cut in income tax rates. The final decision comes at its February meeting, and any cut would take effect on the Jan. 1 after that decision.
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Jan. 1, 2027
A SoonerCare work requirement and six-month renewals, if approved
The Oklahoma Health Care Authority plans to require adults in the Medicaid expansion group to work, study, volunteer or take part in a work program for at least 80 hours a month, contingent on approval by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Adults 19 to 64 in the expansion group would also renew their coverage every six months instead of every 12, and coverage back-dated before an application would be shortened. American Indians and Alaska Natives are exempt from both the work requirement and the six-month renewals.
Oklahoma Health Care Authority, public notice, Sept. 1, 2026
Where Oklahoma ranks highest and lowest
| Measure | Oklahoma | U.S. | Rank | Latest data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents without health insurance 2nd highest · 2024* | 12.9% U.S. 8.4% | 8.4% | 2nd highest | 2024* |
| Residents with a disability 5th highest · 2024* | 17.2% U.S. 13.3% | 13.3% | 5th highest | 2024* |
| Mortgages with less than 10% equity Tied for 3rd highest · Mid-2026 | 7.2% U.S. 4.7% | 4.7% | Tied for 3rd highest | Mid-2026 |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents (2024 population) 4th highest · 2025 | 149.6 U.S. 104.3 | 104.3 | 4th highest | 2025 |
| People with a debt in collections 5th highest · Early 2025 | 18.6% U.S. 13.2% | 13.2% | 5th highest | Early 2025 |
| Mortgage balances 90+ days late Tied for 5th highest · End of 2025 | 1.3% U.S. 0.9% | 0.9% | Tied for 5th highest | End of 2025 |
| People with a debt 90+ days late Tied for 6th highest · Early 2025 | 22.1% U.S. 17.2% | 17.2% | Tied for 6th highest | Early 2025 |
| Residents getting SNAP food benefits 7th highest · June 2026 | 13.4% U.S. 10.7% | 10.7% | 7th highest | June 2026 |
| Residents in poverty 9th highest · 2024 | 14.8% U.S. 12.1% | 12.1% | 9th highest | 2024 |
| Unemployment rate, three-month average Tied for 19th highest · June–August 2026 | 4.3% U.S. 4.1% | 4.1% | Tied for 19th highest | June–August 2026 |
| Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents (2024 population) 18th highest · 2025 | 182.0 U.S. 167.1 | 167.1 | 18th highest | 2025 |
| Household debt per person with a credit report 5th lowest · End of 2025 | $43,170 U.S. $63,200 | $63,200 | 5th lowest | End of 2025 |
| Median household income 6th lowest · 2024 | $66,124 U.S. $81,604 | $81,604 | 6th lowest | 2024 |
| Median rent, a month 10th lowest · 2024* | $1,014 U.S. $1,413 | $1,413 | 10th lowest | 2024* |
| Renters spending half or more of income on housing 13th lowest · 2024 | 21.8% U.S. 26.1% | 26.1% | 13th lowest | 2024 |
Every rank places Oklahoma among the 50 states and D.C., counted down from the highest value or up from the lowest as the row says; values that print the same share a rank. * Census five-year survey, 2020 to 2024. People in collections or 90 or more days late are counted among people with a credit record by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia; for its U.S. figure we averaged the states by population. Mortgage balances count dollars, not people (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). Each row’s producer is named in Sources and method. Download this table: CSV.
Questions about Oklahoma
Is Oklahoma a poor state?
Yes, by the Census Bureau’s measures. In 2024, 14.8% of Oklahomans lived in poverty, 9th highest among the 50 states and D.C., and the median household income, $66,124, was the 6th lowest (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). Measured per person, income came to $63,708 in 2024, 12th lowest (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis).
Is Oklahoma an affordable place to live?
For housing, yes. The median rent was $1,014 a month over 2020 to 2024, the 10th lowest among the 50 states and D.C. (U.S. Census Bureau). The MIT Living Wage Calculator puts a basic budget for one adult at $43,119 a year, the 8th lowest (2025 dollars). We don’t measure prices for food, homes, insurance or electricity, so we don’t rank the overall cost of living. Is Oklahoma expensive? →
What is the poorest county in Oklahoma?
Choctaw County, in the southeast around Hugo. In 2024, 26.4% of its residents lived in poverty, the highest rate of Oklahoma’s 77 counties (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). Greer and Harmon, in the southwest, come next. On our County Distress Index, Seminole County is the most distressed.
Is Oklahoma’s economy doing well?
Jobs have weakened. Oklahoma’s unemployment rate was 4.3% in August 2026, up from 3.4% a year earlier and above the U.S. rate of 4.1%. July 2026 was the first month since 1989 that its published rate topped the nation’s, though not by a margin the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counts as significant. Over 2025 it averaged 3.4%, below the U.S. average of 4.3%. Jobs and the economy →
What is the poverty line in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma uses the federal poverty guideline: for 2026, $15,960 a year for one person and $33,000 for a family of four. Alaska and Hawaii are the only states with separate guidelines (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
Does Oklahoma tax groceries?
Not at the state level. Oklahoma stopped charging its state sales tax on groceries on Aug. 29, 2024, but city and county sales taxes still apply (Oklahoma Tax Commission).
Cite or reuse Oklahoma’s data
Quote these figures in reporting, grant applications or policy work, and please credit American Default Research.
State Distress Index
Oklahoma
20thmost distressed state
of the 50 states and D.C.
More distressed than 62% of the other states and D.C.
On American Default Research’s State Distress Index, Oklahoma ranks 20th most financially distressed of the 50 states and D.C. overall. In early 2025, 18.6% of Oklahomans with a credit record had a debt in collections, 5th highest in the country (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia). Yet Oklahomans owed $43,170 in household debt per person with a credit report at the end of 2025, the 5th lowest (Federal Reserve Bank of New York). The state’s unemployment rate was 4.3% in August 2026 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Its poverty rate was 14.8% in 2024, 9th highest (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates).
Questions, interviews or a custom cut of the data: press@americandefault.org
Sources and method
We gather the data, run the numbers and research each state ourselves.
This edition: October 2026 · Next edition expected March 2027
- People with debts 90 or more days late or in collections, low credit scores and cards near the limitFederal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Consumer Credit Explorerend of 2019 to early 2025
- Debt per person, and balances 90 or more days lateFederal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifaxend of 2019 and end of 2025
- Mortgages with little equityFederal Housing Finance Agency, National Mortgage Databasesecond quarter of 2026
- Mortgages 30 to 89 days late; mortgage complaints; medical debts on credit reportsConsumer Financial Protection Bureau: Mortgage Performance Trends; complaint database; Recent changes in medical collections on consumer credit recordsSept. 2025; Oct. 14, 2026; March 2022 to June 2023
- Bankruptcy filings by chapter, by year and for the latest 12 monthsU.S. Courts, Table F-22019 to June 2026
- Unemployment, state, county and nationalU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment StatisticsJan. 1976 to Aug. 2026
- Poverty and income, state and countyCensus Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates1989 to 2024
- Renters paying half their income or more for housingCensus Bureau, American Community Survey, one-year estimates2005 to 2024
- Rent, homeowners’ costs, health insurance, disability and schoolingCensus Bureau, American Community Survey, five-year estimates2020 to 2024
- American Indian and Alaska Native residentsCensus Bureau, American Community Survey, table B02010, five-year estimates2020 to 2024
- County centers, for east and west of Oklahoma CityCensus Bureau, 2023 Gazetteer Files2023
- Income per person, and the share from wages and from benefitsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis2024
- SNAP and Oklahoma’s food restriction waiverU.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration; U.S. Department of Agriculture, food restriction waiversJune 2025 to June 2026; Feb. 15, 2026
- Cost of a basic budgetMIT Living Wage Calculator2025 dollars
- Mortgage help fundU.S. Treasury, Homeowner Assistance Fundthrough the first quarter of 2026
- Foreclosure lawOklahoma Statutes, Title 12 (§§ 686, 759–769), Title 42 (§ 18) and Title 46 (§§ 40–48); 12 CFR 1024.41as of 2026
- Poverty guidelineU.S. Department of Health and Human Services2026
- Housing counselorsU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Chickasaw Nation housing counselingOctober 2026
- Tribes headquartered in OklahomaOklahoma Department of Librariesas read Oct. 2026
- Grocery tax and income taxOklahoma Tax Commission, food sales tax and 2026 withholding tables; Oklahoma Legislature, House Bill 2764Aug. 29, 2024; tax year 2026
- What changed and what to watchOklahoma Health Care Authority, Oklahoma Attorney General, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Oklahoma Human Services (Oct. 21, 2025 and Nov. 13, 2025), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics release schedule; every item above links to the page it came from (see what changed)Oct. 2025 to Jan. 2027
- County photokennethaw88, via Wikimedia Commons2014
The score has four equal parts: late payments; collections and bankruptcy; jobs; and renters’ housing costs. Each measure is scored by where Oklahoma falls among the 50 states and D.C., and the score is the share of the other 50 places whose average of the four parts is below Oklahoma’s. The full method →
We write with AI tools, and Ross Kilburn checks and reviews every page before it's published.
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Thanks, that helps.