National ranking · FY2024 · AOUSC

States with the Lowest Bankruptcy Filing Rate

All 50 states and DC ranked by total bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents, from lowest to highest filing rate.

29.4
Leader: Alaska
127.5
Median state
51
Jurisdictions
0.1×
Top-to-bottom spread

Data updated September 2026

According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC), 498,492 bankruptcy cases were filed across the federal judicial districts in fiscal year 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 reported filing activity relative to population, not financial wellbeing or legal eligibility. The ranking cannot establish why states differ or predict an individual outcome.

The bottom line

Alaska leads with 29.4 per 100k, about 0.1× the rate of Alabama (374.4). Alabama is the #51 bottom of this complete jurisdiction list. The median state sits near 127.5.

29.4
Alaska (highest)
374.4
Alabama (lowest)
127.5
median jurisdiction
0.1×
spread between extremes

Per 100,000 residents · 51 jurisdictions · FY2024 · AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics.

What This Ranking Tells Us

This ranking compares reported federal bankruptcy filings relative to each jurisdiction's population in the selected fiscal year. A low rate is not evidence that residents have less debt, stronger finances, or different legal eligibility. It is a descriptive court-data comparison whose figures should be read with the source vintage and population denominator in view.

Lowest 5 states by filing rate (per 100k)

Full ranking of 51 jurisdictions below

  1. 1
    Alaska 29.4 per 100k
  2. 2
    Vermont 39.7 per 100k
  3. 3
    Maine 40.0 per 100k
  4. 4
    New Hampshire 61.1 per 100k
  5. 5
    District of Columbia 64.7 per 100k

What this shows Alaska posts the lowest per 100k shown here; by the 5th row (District of Columbia), the rate is already 120% higher, closing in on the national middle.

Source AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics · FY2024

The bar to make this list

Where the #5 cut-off sits among all 51 jurisdictions

65 The cut-off value lower than 88% of 51 jurisdictions

29–73: 10 jurisdictions (20%). This entry sits in this band. 73–116: 13 jurisdictions (25%). Above this entry. 116–159: 10 jurisdictions (20%). Above this entry. 159–202: 8 jurisdictions (16%). Above this entry. 202–245: 4 jurisdictions (8%). Above this entry. 245–288: 4 jurisdictions (8%). Above this entry. 288–331: 1 jurisdictions (2%). Above this entry. 331–374: 1 jurisdictions (2%). Above this entry. Top-5 cut-off 29 374 all 51 jurisdictions, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more jurisdictions. 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

The map view

Every jurisdiction shaded by its per 100k - darker is higher. Select a state for its full profile.

Per 100K by state, FY2024. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau (population).
AK ME
VT NH
WA ID MT ND MN IL WI MI NY MA
OR UT WY SD IA IN OH PA NJ CT RI
CA NV CO NE MO KY WV VA MD DE
AZ NM KS AR TN NC SC DC
OK LA MS AL GA
HI TX FL
Scale: 29–98 98–167 167–236 236–305 305–374
View all 51 states as a list
  1. Alabama: 374
  2. Mississippi: 302
  3. Tennessee: 280
  4. Delaware: 267
  5. Georgia: 263
  6. Nevada: 250
  7. Kentucky: 243
  8. Indiana: 232
  9. Arkansas: 214
  10. Illinois: 203
  11. Michigan: 201
  12. Louisiana: 201
  13. Ohio: 199
  14. Utah: 195
  15. Maryland: 176
  16. Virginia: 163
  17. Wisconsin: 160
  18. Oklahoma: 160
  19. Florida: 157
  20. Oregon: 156
  21. Missouri: 155
  22. Arizona: 146
  23. Minnesota: 143
  24. New Jersey: 142
  25. Kansas: 130
  26. Colorado: 128
  27. Nebraska: 122
  28. California: 118
  29. New York: 107
  30. Washington: 105
  31. Idaho: 102
  32. Texas: 99
  33. Iowa: 97
  34. Pennsylvania: 95
  35. West Virginia: 91
  36. Connecticut: 90
  37. South Carolina: 86
  38. Wyoming: 86
  39. Rhode Island: 83
  40. Hawaii: 82
  41. North Carolina: 80
  42. North Dakota: 71
  43. South Dakota: 71
  44. Montana: 69
  45. Massachusetts: 65
  46. District of Columbia: 65
  47. New Mexico: 65
  48. New Hampshire: 61
  49. Maine: 40
  50. Vermont: 40
  51. Alaska: 29
#StatePer 100K
1Alaska29.4
2Vermont39.7
3Maine40.0
4New Hampshire61.1
5District of Columbia64.7
6New Mexico64.7
7Massachusetts64.8
8Montana68.9
9South Dakota70.5
10North Dakota71.3
11North Carolina80.4
12Hawaii81.7
13Rhode Island82.5
14Wyoming86.1
15South Carolina86.3
16Connecticut90.4
17West Virginia90.6
18Pennsylvania94.6
19Iowa97.4
20Texas98.9
21Idaho102.1
22Washington104.6
23New York106.7
24California117.5
25Nebraska122.2
26Colorado127.5
27Kansas130.1
28New Jersey142.2
29Minnesota143.4
30Arizona146.2
31Missouri154.5
32Oregon155.9
33Florida157.3
34Oklahoma159.5
35Wisconsin160.1
36Virginia163.4
37Maryland175.7
38Utah194.8
39Ohio198.9
40Louisiana200.6
41Michigan201.3
42Illinois202.8
43Arkansas214.2
44Indiana232.0
45Kentucky243.1
46Nevada250.2
47Georgia262.6
48Delaware266.7
49Tennessee279.6
50Mississippi301.6
51Alabama374.4

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, Alaska, posts 29.4, while the trailing state, Alabama, posts 374.4 - a spread of -345.0 points and a ratio of roughly 0.1x between the extremes. The median jurisdiction sits near 127.5, giving a quick sense of where a "typical" state falls versus the leaders and laggards.

The top of this list (Alaska, Vermont, Maine) and the bottom of this list (Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee) have materially different reported rates in this fiscal-year extract. This ranking compares reported federal bankruptcy filings relative to each jurisdiction's population in the selected fiscal year. A low rate is not evidence that residents have less debt, stronger finances, or different legal eligibility. It is a descriptive court-data comparison whose figures should be read with the source vintage and population denominator in view. The ranking itself does not identify the cause of those differences or predict an individual legal or financial outcome.

Rankings describe aggregate populations of court filings across a full fiscal year; they do not predict the result of any single case. A state's position on this list describes the local filing environment, not a recommendation to file. This page is statistical information only and is not legal advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a low filing rate mean people have less debt?

No. This dataset reports bankruptcy filings and population; it does not measure household debt or financial wellbeing. A rate alone cannot explain why a jurisdiction has more or fewer filings.

Which factors keep bankruptcy rates low?

This source cannot answer that causal question. It supports a comparison of reported filing rates only; explaining a state's position would require additional, specifically sourced research.

Explore More Rankings

Highest Filing Rate Highest Chapter 7 Rate Highest Chapter 13 Rate
All States
Bankruptcy data by state
National Trends
Historical bankruptcy filing trends
Guides
Understanding bankruptcy chapters

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →

What to do with this

This ranking's own numbers, then where to compare them.

  • Alaska leads this ranking at 29.4 per 100k - see its full state profile. Alaska profile
  • This board compares reported filings per 100,000 residents - the guide breaks down what separates Chapter 7 liquidation from Chapter 13 repayment. Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13
  • This is one of four national rankings - see the highest filing rate board next. Highest Filing Rate

Figures are Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC), Judicial Caseload Statistics FY2024 filings - see the methodology page for how the rate is calculated.

Data sourced from Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) Judicial Caseload Statistics. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBankruptcy

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.