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Federal judicial district · FY2024 · AOUSC

Southern District of Iowa

According to AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, the Southern District of Iowa recorded every Chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13 petition filed in the district.

1,847
Total filings FY2024
Lower-volume district
1,504
Chapter 7
Above national share
322
Chapter 13
Below national share
63
Business
Below national share

Data updated September 2026

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The bottom line

1,847 bankruptcy cases moved through the Southern District of Iowa in FY2024, with Chapter 7 liquidations making up 81% of the total, a rise of 12.9% versus FY2023.

81%
Chapter 7 (liquidation)
17%
Chapter 13 (repayment)
3.4%
business filings
+12.9%
vs FY2023

Filed in federal, not state, court; counted by fiscal year (Oct–Sep). Not legal advice.

Consumer vs business filings, FY2024

AOUSC case-type split of the same 1,847 filings, orthogonal to the chapter mix farther down.

Southern District of Iowa: filing volume vs. every federal judicial district

FY2024 total bankruptcy filings, AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics

1,847 21st percentile higher than 21% of 89 federal judicial districts

0–1,500: 17 federal judicial districts (19%). Below this entry. 1,500–3,000: 14 federal judicial districts (16%). This entry sits in this band. 3,000–4,500: 13 federal judicial districts (15%). Above this entry. 4,500–6,000: 14 federal judicial districts (16%). Above this entry. 6,000–7,500: 10 federal judicial districts (11%). Above this entry. 7,500–9,000: 4 federal judicial districts (4%). Above this entry. 9,000–10,500: 5 federal judicial districts (6%). Above this entry. 10,500–12,000: 4 federal judicial districts (4%). Above this entry. 12,000–13,500: 2 federal judicial districts (2%). Above this entry. 13,500–15,000: 1 federal judicial districts (1%). Above this entry. 15,000–16,500: 5 federal judicial districts (6%). Above this entry. Southern Iowa 0 16,500 every federal judicial district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more federal judicial districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics · FY2024

Light-volume filing history (#70 of 89)

1,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,500 FY15FY16FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24 1,847
Total bankruptcy filings in the Southern District of Iowa by fiscal year. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics.
Year Total Ch. 7 Ch. 11 Ch. 12 Ch. 13
FY2024 1,847 1,504 15 5 322
FY2023 1,636 1,307 3 0 326
FY2022 1,493 1,231 26 4 232
FY2021 1,803 1,623 8 6 166
FY2020 2,585 2,238 4 11 332
FY2019 2,989 2,589 4 5 391
FY2018 2,793 2,436 12 4 341
FY2017 2,645 2,317 6 2 320
FY2016 2,636 2,271 6 9 350
FY2015 2,769 2,438 12 1 318

Upper-band YoY trend & chapter mix

81%

Chapter 7 share

1,784

Consumer filings

  • Chapter 7 1,504 (81%)
  • Chapter 13 322 (17%)
  • Chapter 11 15 (1%)
  • Chapter 12 5 (0%)

Chapter breakdown of the 1,847 FY2024 filings in the Southern District of Iowa.

Southern District of Iowa filings rose 12.9% year-over-year, from FY2023 to FY2024.

Unemployment & filings, side by side

Iowa's unemployment rate barely moved (2.8% in 2019 to 2.8% in 2023), while filings in the Southern District of Iowa fell 45.3% over the comparable span, FY2019-FY2023 — a mover unemployment alone does not explain.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics state unemployment rate, annual average; AOUSC filing counts by fiscal year. A comparison, not a claim of cause.

Light-third district caseload

Southern District of Iowa in the light-volume third

1,847 FY2024 filings put Southern District of Iowa in the lightest third of federal districts.

Over FY2015–FY2024, filings in the Southern District of Iowa fell 33.3%, 8.0 points above the national decline of 41.3% over the same span.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bankruptcy filings did the Southern District of Iowa have in FY2024?

Southern District of Iowa recorded 1,847 bankruptcy filings in FY2024, placing it 70th among the nation's 89 federal districts.

What is the difference between business and non-business bankruptcy filings?

Of the Southern District of Iowa's FY2024 filings, 63 were business cases and 1,784 were non-business (consumer) cases.

Nationwide peers of a light-volume district

Two AOUSC peer sets for this light-volume Southern District of Iowa book in FY2024, both outside Iowa (same-state courts stay in Other districts below). Volume peers are nearest other-state districts by total filings; Chapter 13 peers are nearest by Ch.13 share of Chapter 7 plus 13 filings.

Similar filing volume

Nearest other-state districts by FY2024 total filings (1,847 here).

Northern Oklahoma 1,708 Southern Illinois 1,692 Idaho 2,006 Eastern Washington 2,022

Similar Chapter 13 share

Nearest other-state districts by Chapter 13 share of Chapter 7 plus 13 filings.

Connecticut 17% Ch.13 Nevada 18% Ch.13 Arizona 18% Ch.13 Central California 16% Ch.13

What to do with this

Southern District of Iowa's own numbers, then where to compare them.

  • This district ranks #70 of 89 nationally by FY2024 filing volume - see how every federal district stacks up. National rankings
  • 81% of FY2024 filings here were Chapter 7 liquidations, not Chapter 13 repayment plans - the guide breaks down what separates the two. Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13
  • Southern District of Iowa is one federal district in Iowa - see the full state rollup across every district. Iowa overview

Figures are Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) Judicial Caseload Statistics FY2024 filings - see the methodology page for how districts and chapters are defined.

Data sourced from Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) Judicial Caseload Statistics. See our methodology for details. Southern District of Iowa FY2024 profile (#70 of 89 volume · #77 of 89 Ch.13 share · light-third district caseload) retrieved and formatted by PlainBankruptcy.