Bell County, Kentucky
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Bell County. Population: 23,317 (small).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Bell County, KY shows significant household financial distress with a score of 77.8 — 19th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Kentucky, it ranks 1st of 120 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Bell County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Income & Poverty
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Employment & Wages
Housing Cost Burden
Community Vulnerability
How Bell County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County, KY | 77.8 | Serious Stress | — |
| Lee County, VA | 73.2 | Serious Stress | -4.6 |
| Knox County, KY | 71.5 | Serious Stress | -6.2 |
| Harlan County, KY | 69.3 | Serious Stress | -8.5 |
| Whitley County, KY | 67.7 | Serious Stress | -10.1 |
| Clay County, KY | 67.0 | Serious Stress | -10.8 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (small) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holmes County, MS | 77.8 | Serious Stress | +0.1 |
| Jim Wells County, TX | 78.1 | Serious Stress | +0.3 |
| Washington County, MS | 78.1 | Serious Stress | +0.4 |
| Hardee County, FL | 77.3 | Serious Stress | -0.5 |
| Halifax County, NC | 77.3 | Serious Stress | -0.5 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Bell County as a CSV file.
Resources
Bell County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Bell County, Kentucky?
Bell County has a County Distress Index score of 77.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 19th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Kentucky out of 120 counties.
What drives financial distress in Bell County?
The primary driver of distress in Bell County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 98.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Bell County compare to neighboring counties?
Bell County (77.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Lee County, VA (73.2); Knox County, KY (71.5); Harlan County, KY (69.3).
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 Bell County?
Bell County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 23,317 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.