What is the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13?

Chapter 7 sells nonexempt property to pay creditors and usually ends within months. Chapter 13 lets people with regular income keep property and repay debts over three to five years under a court-approved plan.

Where do these numbers come from?

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts publishes Table F-5A, which counts bankruptcy cases commenced in each county over a 12-month period, by chapter and by business or nonbusiness debt.

Checked Oct 22, 2026

Massachusetts Bankruptcy Filings

12 months ending 06/30/2026

Cases filed: 5,583; +14.4% from a year earlier
Chapter 7: 3,701
Chapter 13: 1,647
Business cases: 523

Counts are bankruptcy cases filed, grouped by the county of the debtor's address as reported by the courts, so state totals include residents who filed in another state's court. A case can include a married couple filing jointly. Chapter 7 is liquidation, Chapter 13 is a repayment plan for individuals and Chapter 11 is reorganization, mostly for businesses. These are statistics only and do not describe any person or case.

Business bankruptcy cases in Massachusetts by county, with companies, banks and industries.

Business bankruptcies

Five-year trend

Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.

12 months ending	Total	Chapter 7	Chapter 13	Business
06/30/2026	5,583	3,701	1,647	523
06/30/2025	4,880	3,201	1,560	315
06/30/2024	4,617	2,723	1,553	592
06/30/2023	3,609	2,305	1,199	279
06/30/2022	3,389	2,254	1,070	200

By county

12 months ending 06/30/2026

Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.

County	Cases	Per 1,000 residents	Chapter 7	Chapter 13
Middlesex County	919	0.55	596	217
Worcester County	864	0.98	590	236
Bristol County	674	1.15	441	229
Essex County	662	0.80	478	159
Hampden County	563	1.21	403	150
Plymouth County	529	0.98	308	215
Suffolk County	474	0.60	310	135
Norfolk County	448	0.60	277	160
Barnstable County	202	0.87	130	70
Hampshire County	106	0.64	75	30
Berkshire County	80	0.62	57	23
Franklin County	53	0.75	33	19
Nantucket County	5	0.34	2	2
Dukes County	4	0.19	1	2

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13?: Chapter 7 sells nonexempt property to pay creditors and usually ends within months. Chapter 13 lets people with regular income keep property and repay debts over three to five years under a court-approved plan.
Where do these numbers come from?: The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts publishes Table F-5A, which counts bankruptcy cases commenced in each county over a 12-month period, by chapter and by business or nonbusiness debt.

Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A · Last updated 06/30/2026

Data sources

Bankruptcy Filings Statistics (Table F-5A)Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

Data as of 06/30/2026

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