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State profile · FY2024 · AOUSC

Delaware Bankruptcy Filings

According to AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, 2,752 federal filings were recorded in FY2024 across 1 judicial district and 1.03 million residents, Chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13.

2,752
Total filings FY2024
Lower-volume state
266.7
Per 100k residents
Well above national median
#4
Per-capita rank
Top third
1
Judicial district
Typical district count

Data updated September 2026

The bottom line

Delaware sits in the top third by FY2024 filings per 100k (#4 of 51 at 266.7/100k).

266.7
filings per 100k
#4
per-capita rank (of 51)
34%
Chapter 7 (liquidation)
19%
Chapter 13 (repayment)

Statistical information only, not legal advice. Outcomes depend on district local rules, exemption law, and the means test. This page does not recommend whether to file.

F
Financial-Stress Score
19/100
Delaware · 2 of 2 dimensions reported

Based on this state's bankruptcy filing rate (AOUSC, per 100,000 residents) and its most recently reported unemployment rate, each benchmarked against every tracked state (50 states + DC). Lower filings and lower unemployment score higher; this is not a measure of overall affordability, cost of living, or quality of life.

Bankruptcy Filing Rate F 266.7 per 100K
Federal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents, FY2024 (AOUSC)
Unemployment Rate F 3.8%
State's most recently reported annual unemployment rate

Consumer vs business filings, FY2024

AOUSC case-type split of the same 2,752 filings shown above, orthogonal to the chapter mix below.

Per-capita filings vs peers and the national average

Left: nearby jurisdictions by FY2024 filings per 100,000 residents (AOUSC). Right: Delaware rate on the same scale as the 51-jurisdiction peak, with the national average marked.

Peer per-capita rates near Delaware

1. Tennessee279.62. Delaware266.73. Georgia262.64. Nevada250.2
Filings per 100,000 residents, FY2024. Delaware highlighted when present in the peer window. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics.
0374.451-jurisdiction avg142266.7
Delaware 266.7 per 100k (1.87x the 142.3 national average; peak among 51 is 374.4). Denominator = residents; source AOUSC FY2024.

Where Delaware sits: volume vs. intensity

Every jurisdiction plotted by FY2024 total filings (volume) against filings per 100,000 residents (intensity), with Delaware highlighted among all 30. A large state can lead on volume without leading on rate, or the reverse.

30 jurisdictions by total filings (volume) and per-100,000-resident filing rate (intensity), FY2024. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics; population from U.S. Census Bureau estimates. 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 30 entities by Total filings (X) and Filings per 100k residents (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. High volume, high rateLow volume, high rateHigh volume, low rateBelow median on both 010,00020,00030,00040,00050,000 0100200300400 Total filings Filings per 100k residents Delaware among all U.S. jurisdictions, FY2024
30 jurisdictions by total filings (volume) and per-100,000-resident filing rate (intensity), FY2024. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics; population from U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
View all 30 jurisdictions as a list
  1. California : 45,781 filings, 117.5 per 100k
  2. Florida : 35,569 filings, 157.3 per 100k
  3. Texas : 30,182 filings, 98.9 per 100k
  4. Georgia : 28,963 filings, 262.6 per 100k
  5. Illinois : 25,450 filings, 202.8 per 100k
  6. Ohio : 23,448 filings, 198.9 per 100k
  7. New York : 20,881 filings, 106.7 per 100k
  8. Michigan : 20,201 filings, 201.3 per 100k
  9. Tennessee : 19,926 filings, 279.6 per 100k
  10. Alabama : 19,124 filings, 374.4 per 100k
  11. Indiana : 15,921 filings, 232.0 per 100k
  12. Virginia : 14,245 filings, 163.4 per 100k
  13. New Jersey : 13,511 filings, 142.2 per 100k
  14. Pennsylvania : 12,265 filings, 94.6 per 100k
  15. Kentucky : 11,004 filings, 243.1 per 100k
  16. Arizona : 10,861 filings, 146.2 per 100k
  17. Maryland : 10,858 filings, 175.7 per 100k
  18. Missouri : 9,572 filings, 154.5 per 100k
  19. Wisconsin : 9,461 filings, 160.1 per 100k
  20. Louisiana : 9,175 filings, 200.6 per 100k
  21. Mississippi : 8,867 filings, 301.6 per 100k
  22. North Carolina : 8,603 filings, 80.4 per 100k
  23. Minnesota : 8,231 filings, 143.4 per 100k
  24. Washington : 8,176 filings, 104.6 per 100k
  25. Nevada : 7,992 filings, 250.2 per 100k
  26. Colorado : 7,496 filings, 127.5 per 100k
  27. Utah : 6,657 filings, 194.8 per 100k
  28. Oregon : 6,601 filings, 155.9 per 100k
  29. Arkansas : 6,571 filings, 214.2 per 100k
  30. Delaware (this state) : 2,752 filings, 266.7 per 100k

Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics (filings) · U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates →

Delaware chapter composition, FY2024

Delaware chapter mix FY2024

Chapters34.5%41.1%19.1%Ch 7, LiquidationCh 11, ReorganizationCh 12, Family farmerCh 13, Wage-earnerCh 15, Cross-border
2,752 filings • per-capita rate 266.7 per 100k • AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics

Total Filings

2,752

#36 nationally · Lower-volume state

Per 100,000

266.7

#4 per capita · Well above national median

Chapter 7

949

34% of total · Below national share

Chapter 13

527

19% of total · Below national share

Chapter 11

1,132

Business reorganization · Above national share

Business

1,485

Of total filings · Above national share

Peer states, per-capita filings near Delaware

Rate per 100k population (decimal share) and total filings - Delaware highlighted

TN

Tennessee

27.96% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$19,926
Selected

DE

Delaware

26.67% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,752

GA

Georgia

26.26% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$28,963

NV

Nevada

25.02% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$7,992

Filing Trend by Year

1,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,500 FY15FY16FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24 2,752
Total bankruptcy filings in Delaware by fiscal year. Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics.
Year Total Ch. 7 Ch. 13
FY2024 2,752 949 527
FY2023 2,127 769 449
FY2022 1,326 645 390
FY2021 2,103 859 283
FY2020 3,116 1,124 547
FY2019 2,936 1,385 903
FY2018 3,231 1,458 959
FY2017 2,858 1,500 897
FY2016 2,876 1,503 738
FY2015 2,699 1,593 701

Federal Districts in Delaware

District of Delaware

Economic Context

Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics →

3.8%

Unemployment (2023)

266.7

Filings per 100k Pop.

Filing Rate Score

266.7

Filings per 100,000 population

#4

Per-capita rank among 51 jurisdictions

Delaware sits in the higher third for filings per 100k (#4 of 51) - a rate shaped by exemption laws, income, and local legal culture as much as by distress.

Higher per-capita filing rate

Delaware in the higher-rate third

In FY2024, Delaware recorded 2,752 federal filings at 266.7 per 100k - a higher-third per-capita rate (#4 of 51). Chapter 13 repayment plans are 19% while Chapter 7 is only 34% (lower-third Chapter 7 share) - homeowners curing arrears show up more often than straight liquidations.

On a thin volume book, the 10-year swing (rose 2.0%) can be a few hundred cases - read the year table in absolute counts. 1 district; business filings 1,485 (Ch.11 1,132). Unemployment 3.8% (2023).

These figures describe aggregate court filings; they do not forecast any individual case outcome. Statistical information only - not legal advice; this page does not recommend whether to file.

Next reads for a higher-rate state like Delaware

Tennessee filing profile

Nearest per-capita peer (279.6/100k)

District of Delaware

Lead district inside Delaware

State filing rankings

Delaware sits in the upper third by filings per 100k

Chapter 7 vs Chapter 13

High-rate states still split sharply on liquidation vs repayment
← All States National Trends → Tennessee filing profile →

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

What to do with this

Delaware's own numbers, then where to compare them.

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

Data sourced from Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC) Judicial Caseload Statistics for Delaware FY2024 (per-capita #4 of 51). See our methodology for details. Delaware snapshot: 2,752 filings, 266.7/100k, Chapter 7 34% / Chapter 13 19%; retrieved September 2026 by PlainBankruptcy.