Research
Bankruptcy filings by county, district and state
In the 12 months to September 30, 2026, U.S. bankruptcy courts recorded 621,111 new cases, +11.4% on the year before. 63.0% were Chapter 7 and 35.3% were Chapter 13. Chapter 13 is 70.8% of cases in Louisiana and 8.8% in Idaho.
Key facts
- Cases commenced, 12 months
- 621,111
- to September 30, 2026, +11.4% on the year
- Chapter 7 share
- 63.0%
- 391,386 cases
- Chapter 13 share
- 35.3%
- 219,116 cases
- Nonbusiness share
- 95.6%
- 27,054 business cases
- Cases per 1,000 residents
- 1.80
- 50 states and DC
- Cases still pending
- 749,734
- +9.0% on the year
Download the latest figures (CSV) Every quarter since March 2025 Free under CC BY 4.0. No email or login.
What do these numbers count?
Each time a person or business files a bankruptcy petition in a federal bankruptcy court, the court records a case commenced. The U.S. Courts publish those counts by chapter of the Bankruptcy Code and by county and court district. Chapter 7 is the liquidation route, Chapter 13 is a repayment plan for people with regular income, and Chapter 11 mostly reorganizes businesses. The courts do not publish how any case ended in these tables, so this is a count of filings, not of results.
What did we find?
- Filings are rising. 621,111 cases were commenced in the 12 months to September 30, 2026, up 11.4% from 557,376 a year earlier. 51 of the 50 states and DC rose.
- Courts are closing cases more slowly than they open them. They closed 556,601 cases, up 3.7%, so cases still pending reached 749,734, up 9.0% from 687,517.
- Most filers choose Chapter 7, but not everywhere. Nationally 63.0% of cases are Chapter 7 and 35.3% Chapter 13. The Chapter 13 share is highest in Louisiana (70.8%), Alabama (69.0%) and South Carolina (63.6%) and lowest in Idaho (8.8%), New Mexico (12.7%) and North Dakota (13.5%).
- Nearly all cases are personal debt. 95.6% of cases (594,057) were classed nonbusiness, mostly consumer debt, and 4.4% (27,054) business.
- Filings per 1,000 residents range widely. The United States has 1.80. The highest states are Alabama (4.21), Mississippi (3.57) and Georgia (3.16); the lowest are Alaska (0.44), Maine (0.51) and Vermont (0.52).
- The largest counties are big places. Los Angeles County, CA (16,234), Cook County, IL (15,424) and Maricopa County, AZ (9,046) lead, and the 25 counties with the most cases hold 24.0% of all cases. Among counties with at least 100,000 residents, the highest rates are in Shelby County, TN (7.41 per 1,000), Montgomery County, AL (6.49 per 1,000) and Henry County, GA (6.44 per 1,000).
- Some districts are growing much faster than others. Among the 93 court districts, those with 1,000 or more cases that grew most are District of North Dakota (+80.1%), Southern District of Texas (+34.5%) and Western District of North Carolina (+29.0%); District of Delaware (−12.4%), Northern District of Iowa (−8.4%) and District of Hawaii (−0.3%) fell.
- The trend is steady. Twelve-month totals went from 529,080 at the end of March 2025 to 621,111 at the end of September 2026, +17.4% in 6 quarters.
How have filings changed, quarter by quarter?
- All chapters
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 13
Twelve-month bankruptcy filings rose from 529,080 at the end of March 2025 to 621,111 at the end of September 2026. Chapter 7 went from 320,571 to 391,386 and Chapter 13 from 199,130 to 219,116.
The numbers behind the chart
| 12 months ending | All cases | Chapter 7 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 11 | Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2025 | 529,080 | 320,571 | 199,130 | 8,844 | 23,309 |
| June 2025 | 542,529 | 333,321 | 200,290 | 8,408 | 23,043 |
| September 2025 | 557,376 | 344,825 | 203,118 | 8,937 | 24,039 |
| December 2025 | 574,314 | 356,724 | 207,889 | 9,201 | 24,737 |
| March 2026 | 591,850 | 369,702 | 211,700 | 9,941 | 25,960 |
| June 2026 | 608,511 | 382,161 | 215,490 | 10,320 | 26,941 |
| September 2026 | 621,111 | 391,386 | 219,116 | 9,986 | 27,054 |
How do the states compare?
Every state, DC and the territories, by the debtor’s county. “Per 1,000” divides cases by the Census July 1, 2025 estimate; territories have no matching estimate.
| State | Cases | Change on the year | Per 1,000 residents | Chapter 7 | Chapter 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 21,839 | +8.4% | 4.21 | 30.5% | 69.0% |
| Alaska | 323 | +50.2% | 0.44 | 76.8% | 21.7% |
| Arizona | 13,768 | +10.2% | 1.81 | 80.8% | 16.8% |
| Arkansas | 7,846 | +13.8% | 2.52 | 42.4% | 56.4% |
| California | 59,180 | +11.7% | 1.50 | 81.6% | 16.6% |
| Colorado | 9,575 | +14.0% | 1.59 | 80.0% | 18.1% |
| Connecticut | 3,699 | +3.4% | 1.00 | 82.5% | 15.4% |
| Delaware | 1,610 | +6.3% | 1.52 | 62.9% | 35.4% |
| District of Columbia | 646 | +31.0% | 0.93 | 71.2% | 19.8% |
| Florida | 51,418 | +20.9% | 2.19 | 70.6% | 27.1% |
| Georgia | 35,680 | +15.6% | 3.16 | 46.3% | 52.3% |
| Guam | 20 | −28.6% | 90.0% | 10.0% | |
| Hawaii | 1,165 | +0.7% | 0.81 | 62.7% | 35.1% |
| Idaho | 2,663 | +13.3% | 1.31 | 90.5% | 8.8% |
| Illinois | 28,488 | +6.7% | 2.24 | 60.1% | 38.9% |
| Indiana | 18,813 | +5.5% | 2.70 | 56.3% | 43.0% |
| Iowa | 3,651 | +1.6% | 1.13 | 81.5% | 17.5% |
| Kansas | 4,494 | +10.4% | 1.51 | 52.5% | 45.8% |
| Kentucky | 13,106 | +11.8% | 2.84 | 55.7% | 44.0% |
| Louisiana | 10,823 | +10.4% | 2.34 | 26.4% | 70.8% |
| Maine | 726 | +12.4% | 0.51 | 71.1% | 20.1% |
| Maryland | 14,228 | +17.3% | 2.27 | 64.0% | 35.0% |
| Massachusetts | 5,669 | +13.5% | 0.79 | 66.0% | 30.0% |
| Michigan | 23,951 | +11.0% | 2.36 | 68.2% | 31.3% |
| Minnesota | 10,440 | +4.9% | 1.79 | 77.4% | 21.9% |
| Mississippi | 10,551 | +9.7% | 3.57 | 46.3% | 53.1% |
| Missouri | 11,557 | +11.0% | 1.84 | 56.4% | 42.7% |
| Montana | 958 | +26.1% | 0.84 | 81.2% | 16.4% |
| Nebraska | 2,977 | +4.3% | 1.48 | 67.2% | 31.1% |
| Nevada | 9,893 | +10.0% | 3.01 | 82.7% | 16.3% |
| New Hampshire | 1,160 | +16.9% | 0.82 | 72.9% | 22.6% |
| New Jersey | 14,631 | +6.5% | 1.53 | 62.1% | 34.7% |
| New Mexico | 1,767 | +9.9% | 0.83 | 86.6% | 12.7% |
| New York | 23,807 | +4.0% | 1.19 | 65.7% | 29.3% |
| North Carolina | 11,447 | +23.0% | 1.02 | 36.3% | 61.0% |
| North Dakota | 1,012 | +80.4% | 1.27 | 85.9% | 13.5% |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 2 | 100.0% | 0.0% | ||
| Ohio | 27,957 | +4.9% | 2.35 | 76.8% | 22.6% |
| Oklahoma | 8,061 | +12.2% | 1.95 | 82.9% | 16.7% |
| Oregon | 8,392 | +8.1% | 1.96 | 80.2% | 19.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 14,400 | +2.8% | 1.10 | 55.2% | 42.4% |
| Puerto Rico | 6,245 | +2.9% | 36.7% | 61.9% | |
| Rhode Island | 1,166 | +0.6% | 1.05 | 76.7% | 22.3% |
| South Carolina | 6,029 | +20.3% | 1.08 | 35.5% | 63.6% |
| South Dakota | 772 | +22.0% | 0.83 | 78.9% | 19.9% |
| Tennessee | 22,719 | +12.0% | 3.11 | 44.0% | 55.2% |
| Texas | 42,460 | +21.6% | 1.34 | 62.1% | 35.1% |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 24 | +60.0% | 70.8% | 29.2% | |
| Utah | 8,208 | +7.2% | 2.32 | 67.4% | 32.2% |
| Vermont | 335 | +25.0% | 0.52 | 77.0% | 21.8% |
| Virginia | 17,294 | +10.6% | 1.95 | 61.1% | 38.2% |
| Washington | 10,414 | +14.1% | 1.30 | 77.3% | 20.9% |
| West Virginia | 1,642 | +9.7% | 0.93 | 77.2% | 20.9% |
| Wisconsin | 10,284 | +0.5% | 1.72 | 65.2% | 34.2% |
| Wyoming | 612 | +8.3% | 1.04 | 81.0% | 17.3% |
Which counties file the most?
The 3,133 counties in the court tables are in the CSV. Here are the 25 with the most cases, and the 25 with the highest rate among counties of 100,000 residents or more.
| County | Cases | Change on the year | Per 1,000 residents | Chapter 7 | Chapter 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County, CA | 16,234 | +15.0% | 1.67 | 82.0% | 15.4% |
| Cook County, IL | 15,424 | +3.9% | 2.97 | 56.4% | 42.7% |
| Maricopa County, AZ | 9,046 | +10.1% | 1.93 | 79.6% | 17.0% |
| Clark County, NV | 8,409 | +10.3% | 3.49 | 84.3% | 14.9% |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 8,360 | +10.8% | 2.98 | 58.5% | 38.4% |
| Wayne County, MI | 7,512 | +10.4% | 4.25 | 70.7% | 29.0% |
| Shelby County, TN | 6,747 | +8.5% | 7.41 | 25.0% | 74.6% |
| Harris County, TX | 6,567 | +28.8% | 1.30 | 59.5% | 35.9% |
| Riverside County, CA | 5,702 | +13.8% | 2.24 | 85.4% | 13.9% |
| San Diego County, CA | 5,534 | +7.2% | 1.69 | 86.0% | 13.0% |
| San Bernardino County, CA | 5,066 | +21.3% | 2.28 | 85.2% | 14.2% |
| Dallas County, TX | 4,734 | +18.4% | 1.78 | 60.0% | 33.4% |
| Broward County, FL | 4,709 | +10.1% | 2.34 | 58.2% | 38.5% |
| Cuyahoga County, OH | 4,607 | +3.3% | 3.74 | 80.6% | 19.3% |
| Tarrant County, TX | 4,285 | +9.9% | 1.91 | 58.7% | 39.6% |
| Fulton County, GA | 4,107 | +21.9% | 3.74 | 52.5% | 42.0% |
| Orange County, CA | 4,037 | +7.2% | 1.28 | 85.6% | 11.9% |
| Marion County, IN | 3,852 | +10.1% | 3.88 | 63.1% | 36.3% |
| Hillsborough County, FL | 3,702 | +24.7% | 2.35 | 77.5% | 20.6% |
| Milwaukee County, WI | 3,523 | −0.9% | 3.81 | 60.8% | 38.8% |
| Jefferson County, AL | 3,489 | +11.5% | 5.24 | 39.7% | 59.8% |
| Orange County, FL | 3,405 | +21.2% | 2.23 | 78.9% | 18.9% |
| Salt Lake County, UT | 3,342 | +6.3% | 2.74 | 67.9% | 31.7% |
| Franklin County, OH | 3,274 | +13.1% | 2.40 | 69.2% | 28.3% |
| Baltimore County, MD | 3,161 | +14.2% | 3.73 | 68.5% | 30.8% |
| County | Cases | Change on the year | Per 1,000 residents | Chapter 7 | Chapter 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County, TN | 6,747 | +8.5% | 7.41 | 25.0% | 74.6% |
| Montgomery County, AL | 1,466 | +8.8% | 6.49 | 16.1% | 83.8% |
| Henry County, GA | 1,705 | +23.5% | 6.44 | 53.1% | 45.9% |
| Houston County, AL | 699 | 0.0% | 6.34 | 21.3% | 78.0% |
| Mobile County, AL | 2,376 | +6.0% | 5.77 | 21.8% | 77.6% |
| Newton County, GA | 688 | +34.1% | 5.48 | 51.0% | 48.8% |
| Jefferson County, AL | 3,489 | +11.5% | 5.24 | 39.7% | 59.8% |
| DeSoto County, MS | 1,012 | +13.5% | 5.11 | 45.0% | 54.3% |
| Douglas County, GA | 775 | +13.3% | 5.02 | 54.8% | 44.9% |
| Genesee County, MI | 2,014 | +7.9% | 5.02 | 69.2% | 30.5% |
| Clayton County, GA | 1,491 | +4.7% | 5.01 | 52.2% | 46.9% |
| Ouachita Parish, LA | 760 | −1.8% | 4.79 | 11.1% | 88.9% |
| Tuscaloosa County, AL | 1,153 | +7.0% | 4.78 | 21.2% | 78.7% |
| Hinds County, MS | 1,002 | +12.5% | 4.73 | 55.4% | 44.0% |
| Lake County, IN | 2,234 | +9.3% | 4.43 | 42.0% | 57.6% |
| Bibb County, GA | 677 | +6.4% | 4.30 | 46.1% | 53.3% |
| Wayne County, MI | 7,512 | +10.4% | 4.25 | 70.7% | 29.0% |
| Lee County, AL | 804 | +22.7% | 4.23 | 19.3% | 79.6% |
| Pulaski County, AR | 1,710 | +20.8% | 4.23 | 37.7% | 61.8% |
| Madison County, TN | 426 | +13.3% | 4.23 | 32.9% | 66.7% |
| Caddo Parish, LA | 938 | +18.1% | 4.18 | 16.1% | 83.7% |
| Saginaw County, MI | 779 | +15.6% | 4.15 | 61.7% | 37.5% |
| Lowndes County, GA | 507 | +12.2% | 4.13 | 20.1% | 79.9% |
| Bradley County, TN | 477 | +11.4% | 4.13 | 38.2% | 61.0% |
| St. Louis city, MO | 1,147 | −18.5% | 4.12 | 55.7% | 43.5% |
Look up any county by its 5-digit FIPS code, for example /data/v1/bankruptcy/areas/06037.json for Los Angeles County. Counties of any size are in the CSV; Connecticut’s former counties have no rate because Census now publishes planning regions.
What do the court districts look like?
A district is the court that takes the case, so a district can differ from the debtor’s state. All 93 districts, largest first, with the cases the court closed and the cases still pending.
Show all 93 districts
| Court district | Cases | Change on the year | Closed | Pending | Share Chapter 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central District of California | 32,801 | +15.2% | 30,859 | 19,617 | 14.4% |
| Middle District of Florida | 31,009 | +26.4% | 22,244 | 31,847 | 20.5% |
| Northern District of Georgia | 23,534 | +15.3% | 21,646 | 22,991 | 42.7% |
| Northern District of Illinois | 23,483 | +6.1% | 21,115 | 28,988 | 40.9% |
| Eastern District of Michigan | 19,719 | +11.8% | 18,455 | 21,122 | 31.1% |
| Southern District of Florida | 17,388 | +13.0% | 15,077 | 24,970 | 40.1% |
| Northern District of Ohio | 15,116 | +3.5% | 14,355 | 13,169 | 17.8% |
| District of New Jersey | 15,025 | +8.9% | 14,121 | 16,766 | 33.8% |
| Northern District of Texas | 14,146 | +13.4% | 12,794 | 12,668 | 34.9% |
| District of Maryland | 14,113 | +17.3% | 11,834 | 15,273 | 35.1% |
| District of Arizona | 13,548 | +9.0% | 13,030 | 12,473 | 17.0% |
| Eastern District of California | 13,515 | +9.5% | 12,503 | 11,725 | 18.1% |
| Eastern District of Virginia | 13,228 | +10.4% | 12,242 | 16,700 | 39.0% |
| Southern District of Texas | 13,139 | +34.5% | 11,443 | 14,460 | 33.9% |
| Southern District of Ohio | 12,576 | +7.8% | 12,092 | 14,386 | 28.7% |
| Southern District of Indiana | 11,523 | +6.1% | 9,621 | 18,237 | 43.5% |
| Eastern District of New York | 11,169 | +1.2% | 10,905 | 7,626 | 32.0% |
| Northern District of Alabama | 10,822 | +7.7% | 9,780 | 19,550 | 58.4% |
| District of Minnesota | 10,426 | +4.9% | 10,302 | 10,603 | 21.9% |
| District of Nevada | 9,889 | +10.0% | 9,081 | 7,051 | 16.3% |
| Western District of Texas | 9,570 | +21.3% | 8,736 | 8,204 | 30.6% |
| District of Colorado | 9,530 | +14.3% | 8,821 | 9,129 | 18.2% |
| Western District of Tennessee | 9,176 | +8.9% | 8,637 | 14,059 | 72.2% |
| District of Oregon | 8,364 | +8.2% | 7,880 | 7,560 | 19.1% |
| District of Utah | 8,208 | +7.4% | 7,392 | 9,099 | 32.2% |
| Eastern District of Tennessee | 8,096 | +13.3% | 6,952 | 12,336 | 44.1% |
| Western District of Washington | 7,915 | +16.2% | 7,387 | 6,431 | 22.6% |
| Arkansas (Eastern and Western Districts) | 7,771 | +12.8% | 6,742 | 13,248 | 57.0% |
| Eastern District of Wisconsin | 7,409 | +0.1% | 7,102 | 9,172 | 36.8% |
| Northern District of Indiana | 7,251 | +4.4% | 6,361 | 10,797 | 42.4% |
| Middle District of Georgia | 7,220 | +13.9% | 5,839 | 14,375 | 67.3% |
| Northern District of California | 6,866 | +7.3% | 6,648 | 6,926 | 27.9% |
| Eastern District of Texas | 6,846 | +15.4% | 6,369 | 8,020 | 38.0% |
| Eastern District of Missouri | 6,781 | +11.7% | 6,096 | 8,501 | 39.3% |
| Middle District of Alabama | 6,756 | +8.6% | 5,316 | 17,165 | 80.9% |
| Eastern District of Kentucky | 6,710 | +16.5% | 5,706 | 8,596 | 34.9% |
| Western District of Kentucky | 6,341 | +7.0% | 5,406 | 10,167 | 54.0% |
| Puerto Rico | 6,250 | +2.8% | 5,084 | 13,891 | 62.0% |
| Middle District of Tennessee | 6,196 | +14.4% | 5,489 | 9,235 | 44.0% |
| Western District of Louisiana | 6,058 | +5.7% | 4,813 | 14,712 | 78.6% |
| District of South Carolina | 5,931 | +20.2% | 5,154 | 9,500 | 63.8% |
| Southern District of New York | 5,862 | +5.5% | 5,352 | 5,495 | 23.6% |
| Southern District of California | 5,839 | +7.0% | 5,510 | 3,528 | 12.8% |
| Eastern District of North Carolina | 5,837 | +15.8% | 4,217 | 11,756 | 71.6% |
| Southern District of Mississippi | 5,717 | +10.0% | 4,903 | 8,674 | 46.1% |
| District of Massachusetts | 5,542 | +12.1% | 5,126 | 5,274 | 30.6% |
| Eastern District of Pennsylvania | 5,481 | +6.8% | 5,035 | 7,598 | 48.2% |
| Western District of Pennsylvania | 4,944 | +5.0% | 4,831 | 6,820 | 33.9% |
| Northern District of Mississippi | 4,817 | +9.8% | 4,040 | 9,415 | 61.5% |
| Western District of Missouri | 4,752 | +10.3% | 4,121 | 8,525 | 47.7% |
| Western District of Oklahoma | 4,515 | +11.2% | 4,227 | 4,476 | 20.7% |
| District of Kansas | 4,504 | +10.4% | 3,994 | 8,926 | 45.8% |
| Southern District of Alabama | 4,252 | +10.2% | 3,623 | 9,713 | 77.1% |
| Southern District of Georgia | 4,231 | +20.9% | 3,615 | 10,647 | 80.0% |
| Western District of Michigan | 4,200 | +9.8% | 3,503 | 6,576 | 32.3% |
| Northern District of New York | 3,979 | +3.9% | 3,705 | 4,685 | 27.4% |
| Western District of Virginia | 3,896 | +12.7% | 3,759 | 5,152 | 36.7% |
| Middle District of Pennsylvania | 3,831 | +1.5% | 3,606 | 5,451 | 46.4% |
| District of Connecticut | 3,657 | +2.6% | 3,576 | 2,647 | 15.6% |
| Eastern District of Louisiana | 3,466 | +21.1% | 2,182 | 6,955 | 66.8% |
| Western District of North Carolina | 3,015 | +29.0% | 2,405 | 4,656 | 51.3% |
| Central District of Illinois | 3,000 | +9.7% | 2,760 | 3,380 | 24.6% |
| District of Nebraska | 2,957 | +4.3% | 2,778 | 3,795 | 31.3% |
| Western District of Wisconsin | 2,866 | +1.3% | 2,701 | 3,217 | 27.7% |
| Northern District of Florida | 2,850 | +16.4% | 2,498 | 2,844 | 19.8% |
| Western District of New York | 2,716 | +8.2% | 2,351 | 3,470 | 34.6% |
| District of Idaho | 2,661 | +13.4% | 2,509 | 1,939 | 8.7% |
| Middle District of North Carolina | 2,549 | +28.7% | 2,444 | 3,996 | 51.4% |
| Eastern District of Washington | 2,526 | +11.1% | 2,369 | 2,030 | 15.2% |
| Southern District of Iowa | 2,354 | +8.1% | 2,053 | 1,899 | 18.5% |
| Northern District of Oklahoma | 2,236 | +15.8% | 2,104 | 1,366 | 11.7% |
| District of Delaware | 2,129 | −12.4% | 2,266 | 4,738 | 27.0% |
| Southern District of Illinois | 1,953 | +10.3% | 2,004 | 2,873 | 38.4% |
| District of New Mexico | 1,766 | +10.7% | 1,689 | 1,058 | 12.7% |
| Northern District of Iowa | 1,329 | −8.4% | 1,323 | 925 | 15.3% |
| Eastern District of Oklahoma | 1,321 | +10.5% | 1,262 | 1,013 | 11.0% |
| Middle District of Louisiana | 1,299 | +7.8% | 1,148 | 1,739 | 45.7% |
| District of Hawaii | 1,168 | −0.3% | 1,140 | 1,712 | 35.5% |
| District of Rhode Island | 1,167 | +11.6% | 1,074 | 1,016 | 22.6% |
| District of New Hampshire | 1,123 | +14.2% | 941 | 1,022 | 23.4% |
| Southern District of West Virginia | 1,024 | +3.2% | 982 | 1,065 | 14.2% |
| District of North Dakota | 1,014 | +80.1% | 730 | 783 | 13.5% |
| District of Montana | 958 | +25.1% | 874 | 975 | 16.5% |
| Northern District of West Virginia | 926 | +21.2% | 775 | 919 | 27.0% |
| District of South Dakota | 755 | +20.2% | 639 | 1,035 | 20.3% |
| District of Maine | 710 | +12.0% | 597 | 704 | 20.3% |
| District of Columbia | 685 | +23.0% | 645 | 629 | 19.1% |
| District of Wyoming | 616 | +10.2% | 546 | 613 | 17.2% |
| District of Vermont | 336 | +27.3% | 323 | 352 | 21.7% |
| District of Alaska | 321 | +53.6% | 276 | 252 | 21.5% |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 23 | +64.3% | 19 | 25 | 21.7% |
| Guam | 20 | −28.6% | 20 | 30 | 10.0% |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0.0% |
How did we build it?
We download the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts’s Tables F-5A (county), F-2 (district and chapter) and F (filed, closed and pending) from uscourts.gov and read them with a script. A table counts only if its county rows add up to the court’s own Total row and to each district’s row, and the district rows add up to the Total row. 7 quarterly tables, from March 2025 to September 2026, are in the files. Each quarter we add the new table the same way.
- A filing is not an outcome. The tables count petitions filed. They do not say whether a case was dismissed, discharged or converted, or what a lawyer was paid.
- Business and nonbusiness is the court’s label. A case is business when the debtor is a corporation or partnership, or when business debt predominates.
- Counties follow the debtor. A county’s cases are summed across every district that took one, including districts outside its own. The state rows sum the counties; the district rows count by the court, so the two can differ.
- Rates use one population year. Cases in the 12 months are divided by the Census July 1, 2025 estimate. Territories and Connecticut’s former counties have no matching estimate, so no rate.
- Small changes are not computed. Following the court’s own rule, a percent change is left empty when the year before had fewer than 10 cases.
- Gaps stay gaps. The county table for December 2025 did not add up to the court’s own total, so we left its county and state rows out and kept the district rows.
- The courts revise the tables. The court’s database is continually updated, so a figure can differ slightly from an earlier release.
- Counts only. No debtor, firm or lawyer is named. This is not legal advice.
Our ten state bankruptcy practice pages quote the 12 months ending June 30, 2026 from these same tables. The files here hold that period too, and a check on every refresh confirms the figures match. See the bankruptcy practice page.
How to cite this study
You can reuse, adapt and republish this data, including commercially, under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (CC BY 4.0). The only condition is that you credit Probative and link to the source.
- Version
- 1.0.0, released October 28, 2026
- Every version
- 10.5281/zenodo.23739951 (always points to the newest)
- License
- CC BY 4.0
Download the data
- CSV: data.csv 302 KB · the September 30, 2026 figures, one row per area
- CSV: 2025-03-31.csv 211 KB · 12 months ending March 31, 2025, 3,266 rows
- CSV: 2025-06-30.csv 211 KB · 12 months ending June 30, 2025, 3,267 rows
- CSV: 2025-09-30.csv 211 KB · 12 months ending September 30, 2025, 3,263 rows
- CSV: 2025-12-31.csv 8 KB · 12 months ending December 31, 2025, 94 rows (districts only)
- CSV: 2026-03-31.csv 212 KB · 12 months ending March 31, 2026, 3,274 rows
- CSV: 2026-06-30.csv 212 KB · 12 months ending June 30, 2026, 3,276 rows
- CSV: 2026-09-30.csv 213 KB · 12 months ending September 30, 2026, 3,284 rows
Free, no email or login. The files are hosted on this site and Zenodo, a public research archive.
Suggested citation
Probative. (2026). Bankruptcy filings by chapter, court district, state and county, quarterly (U.S. Courts) (Version 1.0.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23739952
Credit line for a chart, table or article
Source: Probative, Bankruptcy filings by chapter, court district, state and county, quarterly (U.S. Courts), version 1.0.0, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23739952, licensed CC BY 4.0.
Not legal advice. These are counts from the courts’ published statistics, kept for marketing planning. A filing is not a discharge or an outcome, and the courts revise the tables as their database updates.
Where can I read more?
- The courts’ own tables: Table F-5A on uscourts.gov.
- Each state’s lawyer ad rules: our state rules library.
- Where lawyers practice: law offices by county.
- The data and the API: all Probative datasets.
Questions about bankruptcy filing data
How many bankruptcy cases are filed in a year?
621,111 cases were commenced in the 12 months to September 30, 2026, up 11.4% from 557,376 a year earlier, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. That is 1.80 per 1,000 residents.
What share of bankruptcies are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13?
63.0% are Chapter 7 (391,386 cases) and 35.3% are Chapter 13 (219,116). Chapter 11 is 9,986 cases. The mix differs by place: the Chapter 13 share is 70.8% in Louisiana and 8.8% in Idaho.
Which state has the most bankruptcy filings per person?
Alabama, with 4.21 cases per 1,000 residents, then Mississippi (3.57) and Georgia (3.16). The United States overall has 1.80.
Does a filing mean the debt was discharged?
No. The tables count cases commenced, the day a petition is filed. They say nothing about whether a case was dismissed, discharged or converted, and they count cases, not the number of people helped.
How is a county counted?
By the county of the debtor, as the court records it, summed across every court district that took a case from that county. Cases the court records as outside the United States or outside the home state have their own rows and belong to no county.
How often is this updated, and where does it come from?
Every quarter, after the U.S. Courts post Tables F-5A, F-2 and F on uscourts.gov, about three weeks after each quarter-end. Population is the Census Bureau’s July 1, 2025 county estimate. A table counts only if its rows add up to the court’s own total row.
Can I reuse this bankruptcy data?
Yes. The court figures are public domain and our compilation is free under CC BY 4.0. Credit Probative with a link to this page. The county, district and state files are free to download.
Free
Want your ads checked?
We look at your ads, Google profile and website against your state’s rules, and show you where you stand in Google and AI answers. It’s free.
Not sure where to start? Answer 7 questions Ready to talk? Talk to us
Your free review: It covers your Google listing, website, phone and ads, from public information.