Kentucky County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 120 counties in Kentucky, scored 0–100 across five domains. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than; the average Kentucky county scores 73.1. 76 counties score high, very high, or extreme.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts | Scores as of Aug 2026
Kentucky Snapshot
120 Counties Scored
73.1 Mean Score
75.8 Median Score
99 Knox County Most Distressed
4 Oldham County Least Distressed
31 extreme county distress18 very high county distress27 high county distress19 moderate-high county distress11 moderate county distress5 moderate-low county distress3 low-moderate county distress3 low county distress2 very low county distress1 exceptionally low county distress
Score Label Distribution Kentucky County Map
Knox County is the most distressed of Kentucky's 120 counties
County Distress Index score for Kentucky's 120 counties, from green (least distressed, 0–29) to red (most distressed, 80–100). Data from 2024 to Aug 2026.
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The county map could not be loaded. Every county is in the lists on this page.
Least distressed 0–2930–4950–6970–7980–100 Most distressed
County Distress Index score · data from 2024 to Aug 2026
Point to or tap a county for its rank and score. Click it, or tap it twice, to open its page.
Most & Least Distressed
Most Distressed
Least Distressed
Score Distribution
How Kentucky's 120 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.
All Kentucky Counties
120 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.
| State Rank | Nat'l Rank | County | Score | Score Label | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Knox County | 99 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 2 | 24 | McCreary County | 99 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 3 | 31 | Magoffin County | 99 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 4 | 43 | Bell County | 98 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 5 | 44 | Clay County | 98 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 6 | 64 | Harlan County | 97 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 7 | 77 | Floyd County | 97 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 8 | 99 | Lee County | 96 | extreme county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 9 | 100 | Fulton County | 96 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 10 | — | Pike County | 95 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 11 | — | Martin County | 95 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 12 | — | Christian County | 95 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 13 | — | Wayne County | 95 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 14 | — | Owsley County | 95 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 15 | — | Powell County | 94 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 16 | — | Jackson County | 94 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 17 | — | Rockcastle County | 94 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 18 | — | Estill County | 93 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 19 | — | Knott County | 93 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 20 | — | Johnson County | 93 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 21 | — | Lawrence County | 93 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 22 | — | Whitley County | 92 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 23 | — | Wolfe County | 91 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 24 | — | Morgan County | 91 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 25 | — | Leslie County | 91 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 26 | — | Perry County | 91 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 27 | — | Breathitt County | 91 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 28 | — | Carter County | 91 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 29 | — | Clinton County | 90 | extreme county distress | Delinquency |
| 30 | — | Laurel County | 90 | extreme county distress | Default & Legal |
| 31 | — | Menifee County | 90 | extreme county distress | Labor |
| 32 | — | Casey County | 89 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 33 | — | Boyd County | 88 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 34 | — | Letcher County | 86 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 35 | — | Hopkins County | 85 | very high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 36 | — | Muhlenberg County | 84 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 37 | — | Greenup County | 84 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 38 | — | Pulaski County | 83 | very high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 39 | — | Barren County | 83 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 40 | — | Mason County | 82 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 41 | — | Lewis County | 82 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 42 | — | Rowan County | 82 | very high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 43 | — | Bath County | 82 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 44 | — | Elliott County | 81 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 45 | — | Russell County | 81 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 46 | — | Bracken County | 81 | very high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 47 | — | Bourbon County | 80 | very high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 48 | — | Taylor County | 80 | very high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 49 | — | Adair County | 80 | very high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 50 | — | Grayson County | 79 | high county distress | Labor |
| 51 | — | Logan County | 79 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 52 | — | Trigg County | 78 | high county distress | Labor |
| 53 | — | Livingston County | 78 | high county distress | Labor |
| 54 | — | Butler County | 78 | high county distress | Labor |
| 55 | — | Clark County | 77 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 56 | — | Lincoln County | 77 | high county distress | Labor |
| 57 | — | Gallatin County | 76 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 58 | — | Cumberland County | 76 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 59 | — | Nicholas County | 76 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 60 | — | Simpson County | 75 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 61 | — | Hart County | 75 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 62 | — | Edmonson County | 75 | high county distress | Labor |
| 63 | — | Robertson County | 75 | high county distress | Labor |
| 64 | — | Carroll County | 75 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 65 | — | Green County | 75 | high county distress | Labor |
| 66 | — | Henry County | 74 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 67 | — | Fleming County | 74 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 68 | — | Crittenden County | 73 | high county distress | Labor |
| 69 | — | Todd County | 73 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 70 | — | Breckinridge County | 73 | high county distress | Labor |
| 71 | — | Boyle County | 72 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 72 | — | Pendleton County | 72 | high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 73 | — | Montgomery County | 71 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 74 | — | Metcalfe County | 71 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 75 | — | Ohio County | 70 | high county distress | Labor |
| 76 | — | Union County | 70 | high county distress | Delinquency |
| 77 | — | Caldwell County | 69 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 78 | — | Jefferson County | 69 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 79 | — | Calloway County | 68 | moderate-high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 80 | — | Graves County | 68 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 81 | — | Larue County | 67 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 82 | — | Allen County | 67 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 83 | — | Warren County | 67 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 84 | — | Hardin County | 66 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 85 | — | McCracken County | 66 | moderate-high county distress | Delinquency |
| 86 | — | Harrison County | 65 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 87 | — | McLean County | 64 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 88 | — | Ballard County | 64 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 89 | — | Monroe County | 63 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 90 | — | Henderson County | 63 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 91 | — | Madison County | 63 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 92 | — | Garrard County | 62 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 93 | — | Grant County | 61 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 94 | — | Washington County | 61 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 95 | — | Marion County | 60 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 96 | — | Franklin County | 59 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 97 | — | Hickman County | 59 | moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 98 | — | Owen County | 58 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 99 | — | Webster County | 57 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 100 | — | Mercer County | 55 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 101 | — | Carlisle County | 54 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 102 | — | Trimble County | 53 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 103 | — | Fayette County | 53 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 104 | — | Lyon County | 51 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 105 | — | Marshall County | 51 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 106 | — | Anderson County | 50 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 107 | — | Jessamine County | 49 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 108 | — | Meade County | 47 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 109 | — | Daviess County | 46 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 110 | — | Nelson County | 44 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 111 | — | Kenton County | 40 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 112 | — | Bullitt County | 39 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 113 | — | Hancock County | 37 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 114 | — | Campbell County | 36 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 115 | — | Scott County | 27 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 116 | — | Boone County | 23 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 117 | — | Shelby County | 22 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 118 | — | Spencer County | 18 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 119 | — | Woodford County | 15 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 120 | — | Oldham County | 4 | exceptionally low county distress | Default & Legal |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using five equal-weighted domains. Each domain averages its member indicators' county ranks, the domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every U.S. county. So a county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. National ranks are shown only for the 100 most and 100 least distressed counties, because ranks in between move between updates. Counties with identical composite scores share a rank, marked T- for tied.
extreme county distress — 31 Kentucky counties
very high county distress — 18 Kentucky counties
high county distress — 27 Kentucky counties
moderate-high county distress — 19 Kentucky counties
moderate county distress — 11 Kentucky counties
moderate-low county distress — 5 Kentucky counties
low-moderate county distress — 3 Kentucky counties
low county distress — 3 Kentucky counties
very low county distress — 2 Kentucky counties
exceptionally low county distress — 1 Kentucky county
Urban Institute data: Breno Braga, Signe-Mary McKernan, Samantha Atherton, and Kassandra Martinchek, "Debt in America," last updated November 20, 2025, https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/debt-america-2025. Licensed under ODC-By 1.0. The County Distress Index is American Default Research's own calculation; the Urban Institute does not produce or endorse it.