Total Filings
439
#49 nationally · Lower-volume state
State profile · FY2024 · AOUSC
District of Columbia Bankruptcy Filings
According to AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics, 439 federal filings were recorded in FY2024 across 1 judicial district and 0.68 million residents, Chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13.
- 439
- Total filings FY2024
- Lower-volume state
- 64.7
- Per 100k residents
- Well below national median
- #46
- Per-capita rank
- Bottom third
- 1
- Judicial district
- Typical district count
Data updated September 2026
The bottom line
District of Columbia filings declined 39.3% across the 10-year AOUSC window ending FY2024.
- 64.7
- filings per 100k
- #46
- per-capita rank (of 51)
- 61%
- Chapter 7 (liquidation)
- 23%
- 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.
C-
Financial-Stress Score
54/100
District of Columbia · 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 A 64.7 per 100K
Federal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents, FY2024 (AOUSC)
Unemployment Rate F 5.7%
State's most recently reported annual unemployment rate
Consumer vs business filings, FY2024
AOUSC case-type split of the same 439 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: District of Columbia rate on the same scale as the 51-jurisdiction peak, with the national average marked.
Peer per-capita rates near District of Columbia
Where District of Columbia sits: volume vs. intensity
Every jurisdiction plotted by FY2024 total filings (volume) against filings per 100,000 residents (intensity), with District of Columbia highlighted among all 30. A large state can lead on volume without leading on rate, or the reverse.
View all 30 jurisdictions as a list
- California : 45,781 filings, 117.5 per 100k
- Florida : 35,569 filings, 157.3 per 100k
- Texas : 30,182 filings, 98.9 per 100k
- Georgia : 28,963 filings, 262.6 per 100k
- Illinois : 25,450 filings, 202.8 per 100k
- Ohio : 23,448 filings, 198.9 per 100k
- New York : 20,881 filings, 106.7 per 100k
- Michigan : 20,201 filings, 201.3 per 100k
- Tennessee : 19,926 filings, 279.6 per 100k
- Alabama : 19,124 filings, 374.4 per 100k
- Indiana : 15,921 filings, 232.0 per 100k
- Virginia : 14,245 filings, 163.4 per 100k
- New Jersey : 13,511 filings, 142.2 per 100k
- Pennsylvania : 12,265 filings, 94.6 per 100k
- Kentucky : 11,004 filings, 243.1 per 100k
- Arizona : 10,861 filings, 146.2 per 100k
- Maryland : 10,858 filings, 175.7 per 100k
- Missouri : 9,572 filings, 154.5 per 100k
- Wisconsin : 9,461 filings, 160.1 per 100k
- Louisiana : 9,175 filings, 200.6 per 100k
- Mississippi : 8,867 filings, 301.6 per 100k
- North Carolina : 8,603 filings, 80.4 per 100k
- Minnesota : 8,231 filings, 143.4 per 100k
- Washington : 8,176 filings, 104.6 per 100k
- Nevada : 7,992 filings, 250.2 per 100k
- Colorado : 7,496 filings, 127.5 per 100k
- Utah : 6,657 filings, 194.8 per 100k
- Oregon : 6,601 filings, 155.9 per 100k
- Arkansas : 6,571 filings, 214.2 per 100k
- District of Columbia (this state) : 439 filings, 64.7 per 100k
Source: AOUSC Judicial Caseload Statistics (filings) · U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates →
District of Columbia chapter composition, FY2024
District of Columbia chapter mix FY2024
Per 100,000
64.7
#46 per capita · Well below national median
Chapter 7
266
61% of total · Near national share
Chapter 13
102
23% of total · Below national share
Chapter 11
70
Business reorganization · Above national share
Business
94
Of total filings · Above national share
Peer states, per-capita filings near District of Columbia
Rate per 100k population (decimal share) and total filings - District of Columbia highlighted
MA
Massachusetts
6.48% top marginal rate
DC
District of Columbia
6.47% top marginal rate
NM
New Mexico
6.47% top marginal rate
NH
New Hampshire
6.11% top marginal rate
Filing Trend by Year
Federal Districts in District of Columbia
Economic Context
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics →
5.7%
Unemployment (2023)
64.7
Filings per 100k Pop.
Filing Rate Score
64.7
Filings per 100,000 population
#46
Per-capita rank among 51 jurisdictions
District of Columbia sits in the lower third for filings per 100k (#46 of 51) - low rates still leave room for Chapter 13-heavy pockets in individual districts.
Falling multi-year filing trend
District of Columbia in the lower-rate third
In FY2024, District of Columbia recorded 439 federal filings at 64.7 per 100k - a lower-third per-capita rate (#46 of 51); small absolute counts still matter when Chapter 13 share runs hot. At a lower per-capita rate the split is still 61% Chapter 7 / 23% Chapter 13 - local rules and attorney-fee norms still shape which chapter filers pick.
On a thin volume book, the 10-year swing (declined 39.3%) can be a few hundred cases - read the year table in absolute counts. 1 district; business filings 94 (Ch.11 70). Unemployment 5.7% (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 lower-rate state like District of Columbia
Massachusetts filing profile
Nearest per-capita peer (64.8/100k)
District of the District of Columbia
Lead district inside District of Columbia
State filing rankings
District of Columbia sits in the lower third - compare denser peers
State exemptions
Low-rate states often pair with generous exemption regimes
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What to do with this
District of Columbia's own numbers, then where to compare them.
- District of Columbia ranks #46 of 51 by FY2024 per-capita filing rate - see how every state stacks up. National rankings
- 61% 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
- District of Columbia has 1 federal judicial district - start with District of the District of Columbia. District of the District of Columbia profile
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 District of Columbia FY2024 (per-capita #46 of 51). See our methodology for details. District of Columbia snapshot: 439 filings, 64.7/100k, Chapter 7 61% / Chapter 13 23%; retrieved September 2026 by PlainBankruptcy.