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 2026-07-01

Cook County, Illinois (Chicago) and Los Angeles County, California are virtually tied at the top with over 15,000 bankruptcy filings apiece in the 12 months ending March 31, 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
CookIllinois15,1808,3346,713
Los AngelesCalifornia15,11612,5312,328
MaricopaArizona8,6907,1251,460
ClarkNevada8,1986,9481,172
Miami-DadeFlorida7,6974,4963,061
WayneMichigan7,2145,0812,109
ShelbyTennessee6,5621,6214,908
HarrisTexas5,7093,4472,073
RiversideCalifornia5,4334,660744
San DiegoCalifornia5,3504,616688
San BernardinoCalifornia4,5473,914611
BrowardFlorida4,4712,5561,818
CuyahogaOhio4,4453,588849
OrangeCalifornia3,9303,362475
TarrantTexas3,9252,2931,558
DallasTexas3,8152,4301,254
FultonGeorgia3,7332,0221,582
MarionIndiana3,6352,2461,372
MilwaukeeWisconsin3,5242,1091,401
HillsboroughFlorida3,3532,572702
JeffersonAlabama3,3401,2592,059
Salt LakeUtah3,2572,1811,063
OrangeFlorida3,1182,446556
SuffolkNew York3,0601,8001,189
FranklinOhio3,0482,081952

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?

Cook County, IL (Chicago) and Los Angeles County, CA are virtually tied at the top, each with over 15,000 bankruptcy filings in the 12 months ending March 31, 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