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Federal judicial district · FY2024 · AOUSC

Middle District of Pennsylvania

According to AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, federal bankruptcy filing counts for the Middle District of Pennsylvania cover Chapters 7, 11, 12, and 13.

3,242
Total filings FY2024
Mid-volume district
1,618
Chapter 7
Below national share
1,589
Chapter 13
Above national share
107
Business
Below national share

Data updated September 2026

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The bottom line

3,242 bankruptcy cases moved through the Middle District of Pennsylvania in FY2024, with Chapter 7 liquidations making up 50% of the total, a rise of 9.1% versus FY2023.

50%
Chapter 7 (liquidation)
49%
Chapter 13 (repayment)
3.3%
business filings
+9.1%
vs FY2023

Counted by federal fiscal year (Oct–Sep); every case here is filed in federal, not state, court. Not legal advice.

Consumer vs business filings, FY2024

AOUSC case-type split of the same 3,242 filings, orthogonal to the chapter mix farther down.

Middle District of Pennsylvania: filing volume vs. every federal judicial district

FY2024 total bankruptcy filings, AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics

3,242 36th percentile higher than 36% 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%). Below this entry. 3,000–4,500: 13 federal judicial districts (15%). This entry sits in this band. 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. Middle Pennsylvania 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

Filing history on a Chapter 13-heavy book

2,0003,0004,0005,0006,000 FY15FY16FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24 3,242
Total bankruptcy filings in the Middle District of Pennsylvania by fiscal year. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics.
Year Total Ch. 7 Ch. 11 Ch. 12 Ch. 13
FY2024 3,242 1,618 35 0 1,589
FY2023 2,972 1,565 18 2 1,387
FY2022 2,559 1,442 11 3 1,103
FY2021 3,002 2,017 29 1 955
FY2020 4,325 2,849 25 2 1,449
FY2019 5,616 3,465 44 5 2,102
FY2018 5,455 3,387 30 1 2,037
FY2017 5,386 3,319 37 1 2,029
FY2016 5,460 3,426 32 2 2,000
FY2015 5,797 3,719 49 2 2,027

Upper-band YoY trend & chapter mix

50%

Chapter 7 share

3,135

Consumer filings

  • Chapter 7 1,618 (50%)
  • Chapter 13 1,589 (49%)
  • Chapter 11 35 (1%)

FY2024 filings by chapter: 3,242 total across Chapters 7, 11, 12, and 13.

From FY2023 to FY2024, the Middle District of Pennsylvania's filing volume went up 9.1%.

Unemployment & filings, side by side

With Pennsylvania unemployment essentially unchanged (3.8% to 3.8%), the Middle District of Pennsylvania's 47.1% filing decline over FY2019-FY2023 points to a driver other than the labor market.

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.

Chapter 13-heavy district mix

Middle District of Pennsylvania's Chapter 13-heavy mix

Chapter 13 share ranks #21 of 89 among districts (highest share = #1); Chapter 7 is 50% of FY2024 filings here.

Between FY2015 and FY2024, the Middle District of Pennsylvania's filing count fell 44.1%, 2.8 points below the national decline of 41.3%.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bankruptcy cases were filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania in FY2024?

In FY2024, 3,242 bankruptcy cases were filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, ranking it 57 out of 89 federal judicial districts by volume.

How many business vs. non-business bankruptcy filings were there?

The Middle District of Pennsylvania had 107 business filings and 3,135 non-business (consumer) filings in FY2024.

Nationwide peers on Chapter 13 share

Two AOUSC peer sets for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in FY2024, both outside Pennsylvania so the neighborhoods are not state containment (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 (3,242 here).

Connecticut 3,271 Western Virginia 3,130 Western Michigan 3,490 Southern Alabama 3,576

Similar Chapter 13 share

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

Northern Georgia 50% Ch.13 Southern Mississippi 50% Ch.13 Middle Tennessee 49% Ch.13 Kansas 49% Ch.13

What to do with this

Middle District of Pennsylvania's own numbers, then where to compare them.

  • This district ranks #57 of 89 nationally by FY2024 filing volume - see how every federal district stacks up. National rankings
  • 50% 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
  • Middle District of Pennsylvania is one federal district in Pennsylvania - see the full state rollup across every district. Pennsylvania 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. Middle District of Pennsylvania FY2024 profile (#57 of 89 volume · #21 of 89 Ch.13 share · chapter 13-heavy district mix) retrieved and formatted by PlainBankruptcy.