Ballard County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Normal · 36.2 | 7,582 people · 113th most distressed in Kentucky
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Ballard County, KY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 36.2 — 2580th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where debt and delinquency levels sit above the national average. Within Kentucky, it ranks 113th of 120 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ballard County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 47.7 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 47.7
Debt in Collections 60
Medical Debt 48
Student Loan Delinquency 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 25
Credit Card Delinquency 63
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 83
Income & Poverty 47.2
Poverty Rate 57
Income vs. State Median 13
Child Poverty Rate 71
Employment & Wages 37.7
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 9
Business Formation Rate 43
Community Vulnerability 29.8
Uninsured Rate 7
Disability Rate 52
Housing Cost Burden 18.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 14
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 13
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 22
Homeownership Rate 20
Rent-to-Income Ratio 23

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Ballard County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ballard County
Ballard County, KY 36.2 Normal —
Mississippi County, MO 76.6 Serious +40.5
Alexander County, IL 65.3 Serious +29.1
Pulaski County, IL 61.7 Elevated +25.5
McCracken County, KY 47.7 Normal +11.5
Carlisle County, KY 45.0 Normal +8.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ballard County
Big Stone County, MN 36.1 Normal -0.0
Wichita County, KS 36.1 Normal -0.1
Lake of the Woods County, MN 36.3 Normal +0.1
Keokuk County, IA 36.3 Normal +0.2
Rawlins County, KS 36.4 Normal +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Ballard County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Ballard County

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Kentucky Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Kentucky Bar Association Lawyer Referral 502-564-3795

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Ballard County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of the Bluegrass 1-800-928-4615
Kentucky Legal Aid 1-866-452-9243
Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky (866) 277-5733
Legal Aid Society (502) 584-1254

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Ballard County, Kentucky?

    Ballard County has a County Distress Index score of 36.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,580th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 113th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ballard County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ballard County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 47.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Ballard County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ballard County (36.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Mississippi County, MO (76.6); Alexander County, IL (65.3); Pulaski County, IL (61.7).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Ballard County?

    Ballard County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 7,582 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.