The 25 Busiest Counties for Bankruptcy Filings in 2026
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The 25 Busiest Counties for Bankruptcy Filings in 2026

By US Debt Compass Editorial TeamUpdated 2026-06-30

Cook County, Illinois (Chicago) and Los Angeles County, California are both above 15,000 bankruptcy filings in the 12 months ending June 30, 2026 — more than the total annual filings of many entire states. Maricopa County, AZ and Clark County, NV (Las Vegas) round out the top four, both leaning heavily toward Chapter 7 rather than Chapter 13.

Sourced from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A — actual counted federal bankruptcy petitions, not survey or complaint data. See our companion state-level filing surge ranking for year-over-year change by state.
CountyStateTotal filingsChapter 7Chapter 13
CookIllinois15,2148,4946,598
Los AngelesCalifornia15,78413,0312,463
MaricopaArizona8,6887,0981,477
ClarkNevada8,3747,0801,226
Miami-DadeFlorida8,0444,6963,196
WayneMichigan7,4315,2722,135
ShelbyTennessee6,7051,6595,011
HarrisTexas5,9993,6742,125
RiversideCalifornia5,5564,764758
San DiegoCalifornia5,4474,675725
San BernardinoCalifornia4,8984,209662
BrowardFlorida4,5862,6711,799
CuyahogaOhio4,5453,670864
OrangeCalifornia3,9803,407475
TarrantTexas4,0852,4231,587
DallasTexas4,0072,6081,257
FultonGeorgia3,8732,0861,662
MarionIndiana3,7962,3511,424
MilwaukeeWisconsin3,4692,0671,388
HillsboroughFlorida3,5342,709749
JeffersonAlabama3,4471,3242,099
Salt LakeUtah3,3752,2741,085
OrangeFlorida3,1932,530582
SuffolkNew York3,1201,8131,239
FranklinOhio3,1132,184918

Chapter 7 wipes out most unsecured debt but can mean liquidating non-exempt assets; Chapter 13 restructures debt into a repayment plan and is common where filers want to keep property like a home. See how the Chapter 7 means test works to see which one you'd likely qualify for, and where mortgage distress is worst for the housing-side pressure driving some of this.

Methodology

Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A, 12-month period ending March 31, 2026 — the most recent quarterly release available. Figures are unmodified county-level filing counts, split into Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 (Chapter 11 and 12 filings, mostly business and family-farm cases, are a small share of these totals and aren't broken out separately here).

Filing yourself, or thinking about it?

See how the means test works

Questions & Answers

Which U.S. county has the most bankruptcy filings?

Los Angeles County, CA had 15,784 filings and Cook County, IL had 15,214 in the 12 months ending June 30, 2026 — more than the total annual filings of many entire states.

— US Debt Compass Editorial Team

Is this Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 filings?

Both, broken out separately for each county. Maricopa County, AZ and Clark County, NV (Las Vegas) round out the top four and lean heavily toward Chapter 7 rather than Chapter 13.

— US Debt Compass Editorial Team

Where does this data come from?

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A — actual counted federal bankruptcy petitions by county, not survey or complaint data.

— US Debt Compass Editorial Team