Kentucky County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 120 counties in Kentucky, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 66.4. 42 counties score high, very high, or extreme.
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26
Kentucky Snapshot
120 Counties Scored
66.4 Mean Score
66.6 Median Score
88.0 Bell County Most Distressed
23.0 Oldham County Least Distressed
13 very high county distress29 high county distress50 moderate-high county distress19 moderate county distress7 moderate-low county distress1 low-moderate county distress1 low county distress
Score Label Distribution Kentucky County Map
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Low county distress Moderate-low county distress Moderate county distress High county distress Extreme county distress
All 120 Kentucky counties colored by county distress score range. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.
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 | 23 | Bell County | 88.0 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 2 | 36 | Knox County | 86.2 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 3 | 42 | McCreary County | 85.5 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 4 | 50 | Clay County | 85.0 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 5 | 54 | Fulton County | 84.6 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 6 | 56 | Magoffin County | 84.5 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 7 | 64 | Harlan County | 84.2 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 8 | 69 | Martin County | 84.0 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 9 | 73 | Christian County | 83.7 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 10 | 74 | Floyd County | 83.6 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 11 | 89 | Pike County | 82.8 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 12 | 91 | Wayne County | 82.6 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 13 | 122 | Johnson County | 81.2 | very high county distress | Labor |
| 14 | 157 | Estill County | 79.5 | high county distress | Labor |
| 15 | 165 | Jackson County | 79.2 | high county distress | Labor |
| 16 | 196 | Owsley County | 78.0 | high county distress | Labor |
| 17 | 199 | Knott County | 77.9 | high county distress | Labor |
| 18 | 203 | Lee County | 77.8 | high county distress | Labor |
| 19 | 210 | Powell County | 77.7 | high county distress | Labor |
| 20 | 212 | Laurel County | 77.6 | high county distress | Labor |
| 21 | 213 | Morgan County | 77.5 | high county distress | Labor |
| 22 | 225 | Clinton County | 77.1 | high county distress | Labor |
| 23 | 230 | Breathitt County | 77.0 | high county distress | Labor |
| 24 | 233 | Wolfe County | 76.8 | high county distress | Labor |
| 25 | 252 | Casey County | 76.3 | high county distress | Labor |
| 26 | 257 | Whitley County | 76.0 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 27 | 265 | Leslie County | 75.8 | high county distress | Labor |
| 28 | 274 | Perry County | 75.6 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 29 | 275 | Lawrence County | 75.6 | high county distress | Labor |
| 30 | 278 | Rockcastle County | 75.5 | high county distress | Labor |
| 31 | 294 | Carter County | 75.1 | high county distress | Labor |
| 32 | 340 | Menifee County | 74.0 | high county distress | Labor |
| 33 | 344 | Boyd County | 74.0 | high county distress | Labor |
| 34 | 368 | Barren County | 73.3 | high county distress | Labor |
| 35 | 380 | Bourbon County | 73.1 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 36 | 381 | Rowan County | 73.0 | high county distress | Labor |
| 37 | 411 | Letcher County | 72.0 | high county distress | Labor |
| 38 | 419 | Adair County | 71.8 | high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 39 | 421 | Pulaski County | 71.8 | high county distress | Labor |
| 40 | 443 | Nicholas County | 71.1 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 41 | 462 | Simpson County | 70.7 | high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 42 | 490 | Muhlenberg County | 70.0 | high county distress | Labor |
| 43 | 509 | Trigg County | 69.8 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 44 | 514 | Jefferson County | 69.7 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 45 | 518 | Hopkins County | 69.5 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 46 | 547 | Elliott County | 69.0 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 47 | 559 | Livingston County | 68.9 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 48 | 563 | Fleming County | 68.8 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 49 | 577 | Greenup County | 68.6 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 50 | 581 | Lewis County | 68.5 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 51 | 613 | Mason County | 68.0 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 52 | 636 | Taylor County | 67.6 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 53 | 660 | Russell County | 67.1 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 54 | 661 | Hart County | 67.1 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 55 | 671 | Allen County | 67.0 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 56 | 672 | Gallatin County | 66.9 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 57 | 674 | Butler County | 66.9 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 58 | 675 | Bracken County | 66.8 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 59 | 678 | Grayson County | 66.8 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 60 | 685 | Lincoln County | 66.6 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 61 | 689 | Metcalfe County | 66.5 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 62 | 693 | Henry County | 66.5 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 63 | 704 | Robertson County | 66.2 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 64 | 724 | Hardin County | 65.6 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 65 | 728 | Ohio County | 65.6 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 66 | 733 | Boyle County | 65.4 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 67 | 735 | Henderson County | 65.4 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 68 | 741 | Edmonson County | 65.3 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 69 | 758 | Warren County | 65.0 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 70 | 760 | Calloway County | 64.9 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 71 | 776 | Monroe County | 64.5 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 72 | 788 | Montgomery County | 64.4 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 73 | 796 | Green County | 64.4 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 74 | 804 | Crittenden County | 64.2 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 75 | 807 | Carroll County | 64.2 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 76 | 827 | Larue County | 63.8 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 77 | 838 | Bath County | 63.7 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 78 | 840 | Cumberland County | 63.6 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 79 | 844 | McCracken County | 63.5 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 80 | 879 | Graves County | 62.8 | moderate-high county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 81 | 896 | Harrison County | 62.6 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 82 | 905 | Caldwell County | 62.5 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 83 | 917 | Owen County | 62.3 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 84 | 924 | Grant County | 62.1 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 85 | 934 | Breckinridge County | 61.9 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 86 | 941 | Logan County | 61.8 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 87 | 943 | Union County | 61.8 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 88 | 944 | Pendleton County | 61.8 | moderate-high county distress | Default & Legal |
| 89 | 957 | Garrard County | 61.5 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 90 | 998 | Madison County | 60.8 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 91 | 1,011 | McLean County | 60.6 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 92 | 1,031 | Marion County | 60.4 | moderate-high county distress | Labor |
| 93 | 1,094 | Fayette County | 58.9 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 94 | 1,105 | Franklin County | 58.8 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 95 | 1,114 | Mercer County | 58.7 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 96 | 1,142 | Clark County | 58.3 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 97 | 1,147 | Lyon County | 58.1 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 98 | 1,150 | Washington County | 58.1 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 99 | 1,166 | Todd County | 57.8 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 100 | 1,182 | Meade County | 57.5 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 101 | 1,203 | Marshall County | 57.0 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 102 | 1,217 | Hickman County | 56.7 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 103 | 1,260 | Daviess County | 55.9 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 104 | 1,292 | Carlisle County | 55.5 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 105 | 1,296 | Webster County | 55.4 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 106 | 1,325 | Nelson County | 54.9 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 107 | 1,381 | Anderson County | 53.7 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 108 | 1,403 | Trimble County | 53.4 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 109 | 1,418 | Ballard County | 53.1 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 110 | 1,459 | Bullitt County | 52.5 | moderate county distress | Labor |
| 111 | 1,573 | Kenton County | 50.4 | moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 112 | 1,612 | Jessamine County | 49.5 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 113 | 1,689 | Hancock County | 48.2 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 114 | 1,815 | Campbell County | 46.0 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 115 | 1,915 | Scott County | 44.3 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 116 | 1,950 | Boone County | 43.7 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 117 | 2,032 | Shelby County | 42.0 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 118 | 2,077 | Spencer County | 41.2 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 119 | 2,453 | Woodford County | 33.8 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 120 | 2,876 | Oldham County | 23.0 | low county distress | Labor |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using five equal-weighted domains. Each domain averages its member indicators' county ranks, and the composite is the mean of those domain scores. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.
extreme county distress — 0 Kentucky counties
very high county distress — 13 Kentucky counties
high county distress — 29 Kentucky counties
moderate-high county distress — 50 Kentucky counties
moderate county distress — 19 Kentucky counties
moderate-low county distress — 7 Kentucky counties
low-moderate county distress — 1 Kentucky county
low county distress — 1 Kentucky county
very low county distress — 0 Kentucky counties
exceptionally low county distress — 0 Kentucky counties