National ranking · FY2024 · AOUSC
States with the Highest Chapter 13 Filing Rate
All states ranked by Chapter 13 repayment plan filings per 100,000 residents, where structured debt repayment is most common.
- 197.9
- Leader: Tennessee
- 57.7
- Median state
- 51
- Jurisdictions
- 7.9×
- Top-to-bottom spread
Data updated July 2026
According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC), roughly 485,000 bankruptcy cases were filed across the federal judicial districts in the fiscal year ending September 2024. The rankings below divide each state's filings by its U.S. Census Bureau population to compare jurisdictions on a like-for-like, per-100,000-resident basis. See our methodology for how every rate is calculated. This rate measures filing activity relative to population, not residents' financial distress or responsibility directly: state exemption laws, means-test income thresholds, and local legal culture all shape how often residents use bankruptcy court.
The bottom line
Tennessee leads with 197.9 per 100k, about 7.9× the rate of South Dakota (24.9). The median state sits near 57.7.
- 197.9
- Tennessee (highest)
- 24.9
- South Dakota (lowest)
- 57.7
- median jurisdiction
- 7.9×
- spread between extremes
Per 100,000 residents · 51 jurisdictions · FY2024 · AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics.
What This Ranking Tells Us
Chapter 13 requires debtors to repay a portion of their debts over 3-5 years through a court-supervised plan. States with high Chapter 13 rates often have legal cultures that favor repayment over liquidation, stricter Chapter 7 means tests that push higher-income debtors into Chapter 13, or higher homeownership rates where debtors file Chapter 13 specifically to save their homes from foreclosure. Southern states, particularly Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, consistently lead in Chapter 13 filings due to a combination of judicial preferences, attorney practices, and demographic factors.
Top 5 states - per 100k
The map view
Every jurisdiction shaded by its per 100k - darker is higher. Select a state for its full profile.
| # | State | Per 100K |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | 197.9 |
| 2 | Georgia | 197.2 |
| 3 | Alabama | 181.1 |
| 4 | Mississippi | 162.8 |
| 5 | Louisiana | 115.6 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 107.2 |
| 7 | South Carolina | 99.7 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 96.6 |
| 9 | Arkansas | 91.6 |
| 10 | West Virginia | 87.6 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 84.9 |
| 12 | Indiana | 78.4 |
| 13 | Missouri | 77.2 |
| 14 | Virginia | 76.6 |
| 15 | Kansas | 76.5 |
| 16 | Nevada | 76.5 |
| 17 | Maryland | 75.1 |
| 18 | Ohio | 73.6 |
| 19 | Michigan | 66.4 |
| 20 | Delaware | 64.1 |
| 21 | Hawaii | 62.4 |
| 22 | Illinois | 61.5 |
| 23 | Nebraska | 60.8 |
| 24 | Arizona | 59.5 |
| 25 | Florida | 57.9 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | 57.7 |
| 27 | New Jersey | 57.6 |
| 28 | Iowa | 55.0 |
| 29 | Utah | 53.8 |
| 30 | New Mexico | 53.6 |
| 31 | Oregon | 50.8 |
| 32 | Idaho | 48.3 |
| 33 | Minnesota | 48.3 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | 47.0 |
| 35 | California | 45.0 |
| 36 | Texas | 44.9 |
| 37 | District of Columbia | 44.6 |
| 38 | New York | 42.9 |
| 39 | Wyoming | 42.5 |
| 40 | Alaska | 39.4 |
| 41 | Colorado | 39.2 |
| 42 | Montana | 38.8 |
| 43 | Vermont | 38.6 |
| 44 | Washington | 37.7 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | 32.3 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | 32.0 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 31.9 |
| 48 | Connecticut | 30.6 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 30.6 |
| 50 | Maine | 30.2 |
| 51 | South Dakota | 24.9 |
Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC), Judicial Caseload Statistics.
What This Ranking Actually Shows
This ranking covers 51 jurisdictions with per 100k values sourced from AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics. The leading state, Tennessee, posts 197.9, while the trailing state, South Dakota, posts 24.9 - a spread of 173.0 points and a ratio of roughly 7.9x between the extremes. The median jurisdiction sits near 57.7, giving a quick sense of where a "typical" state falls versus the leaders and laggards.
The top of this list (Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama) and the bottom of this list (South Dakota, Maine, Massachusetts) are not close substitutes for one another. Chapter 13 requires debtors to repay a portion of their debts over 3-5 years through a court-supervised plan. States with high Chapter 13 rates often have legal cultures that favor repayment over liquidation, stricter Chapter 7 means tests that push higher-income debtors into Chapter 13, or higher homeownership rates where debtors file Chapter 13 specifically to save their homes from foreclosure. Southern states, particularly Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, consistently lead in Chapter 13 filings due to a combination of judicial preferences, attorney practices, and demographic factors. Differences this large between neighboring states usually reflect structural legal and economic factors, exemption laws, attorney fee conventions, local trustee practices, means-test thresholds tied to state median income, and creditor recovery norms, rather than short-term swings in consumer behavior. Some of these factors change slowly (state statutes), while others shift year to year (median-income thresholds, interest rates).
Rankings describe aggregate populations of court filings across a full fiscal year; they do not predict the result of any single case nor determine whether bankruptcy is the right choice for any individual. A state's position on this list tells you something about the local filing environment, but it does not replace a case-specific analysis of income, assets, secured debt, exemptions, and alternative remedies. This page is statistical information only and is not legal advice; anyone weighing a bankruptcy filing should consult a licensed bankruptcy attorney admitted to practice in the relevant judicial district.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chapter 13 bankruptcy?
Chapter 13 is a reorganization bankruptcy for individuals with regular income. Instead of liquidating assets, the debtor proposes a repayment plan lasting 3-5 years, making monthly payments to a court-appointed trustee who distributes funds to creditors. At the end of the plan, remaining eligible debts are discharged. Chapter 13 is particularly useful for homeowners facing foreclosure, as it allows them to catch up on mortgage arrears while keeping their property.
Why do Southern states have higher Chapter 13 rates?
The phenomenon of elevated Chapter 13 filings in the South is well-documented in bankruptcy research. Contributing factors include: local legal culture and attorney practices that favor Chapter 13, judicial standing orders that shape filing patterns, higher homeownership rates among lower-income populations (creating incentive to file Chapter 13 to save homes), and demographic factors including income distribution and debt composition. Some researchers also point to historical patterns in attorney fee structures that made Chapter 13 more profitable for attorneys to recommend.
What percentage of Chapter 13 plans succeed?
Nationally, only about 33-40% of Chapter 13 plans result in a successful discharge, meaning the debtor completed all plan payments over 3-5 years. The remaining 60-67% are dismissed (debtor couldn't maintain payments) or converted to Chapter 7. Success rates vary significantly by district, with some achieving over 50% completion and others below 25%. Factors affecting success include plan payment amounts, debtor income stability, and trustee/court oversight practices.
Explore More Rankings
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Every figure on PlainBankruptcy is rendered directly from federal court source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal court source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.