Bourbon County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.7 | 20,134 people · 71st most distressed in Kentucky
American Default Research

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Bourbon County, KY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.7 — 1395th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Kentucky, it ranks 71st of 120 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Bourbon County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 70.3 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 70.3
Debt in Collections 77
Medical Debt 65
Student Loan Delinquency 42
Auto Loan Delinquency 91
Credit Card Delinquency 55
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 93
Housing Cost Burden 67.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 45
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 85
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 42
Homeownership Rate 85
Rent-to-Income Ratio 79
Income & Poverty 45.2
Poverty Rate 56
Income vs. State Median 27
Child Poverty Rate 53
Employment & Wages 40.6
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 74
Business Formation Rate 25
Community Vulnerability 40.2
Uninsured Rate 2
Disability Rate 79

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Bourbon County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Bourbon County
Bourbon County, KY 52.7 Elevated —
Nicholas County, KY 57.5 Elevated +4.8
Bath County, KY 57.2 Elevated +4.5
Montgomery County, KY 56.0 Elevated +3.3
Harrison County, KY 45.7 Normal -7.0
Fayette County, KY 45.6 Normal -7.1
Clark County, KY 45.5 Normal -7.2
Scott County, KY 33.4 Healthy -19.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Bourbon County
Preston County, WV 52.7 Elevated 0.0
Pickens County, GA 52.7 Elevated +0.0
Chester County, TN 52.7 Elevated -0.0
Fayette County, IL 52.7 Elevated -0.0
Elmore County, ID 52.7 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Bourbon County

Find an Attorney

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 Bourbon 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 Bourbon County, Kentucky?

    Bourbon County has a County Distress Index score of 52.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,395th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 71st in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Bourbon County?

    The primary driver of distress in Bourbon County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 70.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Bourbon County compare to neighboring counties?

    Bourbon County (52.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Nicholas County, KY (57.5); Bath County, KY (57.2); Montgomery County, KY (56.0).

  • 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 Bourbon County?

    Bourbon County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 20,134 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.