Caldwell County, Kentucky
More than double the national median for bankruptcy filing rate — and 34.9× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Glacier County, MT — 7).
Main Findings
Caldwell County, Kentucky ranks 1,116th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a bankruptcy filing rate of 255 — more than double the national median of 126.
- 1,116th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 91st in Kentucky.
- A bankruptcy filing rate of 255 (U.S. median 126). Bankruptcy filing rate at the 86th percentile nationally.
- Disability rate at 26% — national median 16%, ranked at the 95th percentile.
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 51st percentile.
- Subprime credit share at 29% — national median 23%, ranked at the 72nd percentile.
Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 29-point drop to Webster County marks where the Kentucky distress corridor ends.
"Caldwell County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."
"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
Caldwell County's auto loan delinquency indicator is at the 9th percentile — while every other indicator in the delinquency domain sits at or above the 69th percentile. The gap stands out against the other credit indicators. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Princeton.
The Indicators Behind Caldwell County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Caldwell County's value shown alongside KY's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Caldwell | KY median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 50 · Rank 1,556 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 6% | 5% | 9th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 6% | 5% | 69th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 29% | 28% | 23% | 72nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 78 · Rank 478 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 29% | 29% | 23% | 70th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 255 | 243 | 126 | 86th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 40 · Rank 1,999 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 20% | 20% | 21% | 36th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 17% | 18% | 18% | 44th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 51 · Rank 1,503 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 51st | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 73 · Rank 671 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 22% | 22% | 18% | 68th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 26% | 21% | 16% | 95th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 16% | 17% | 14% | 66th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 37% | 34% | 27% | 88th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 10% | 6% | 8% | 62nd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Caldwell County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 153-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
PRINCETON, Ky. — Caldwell County ranks 1,116th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 58 out of 100 places Caldwell in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,115 counties rank more distressed. Within Kentucky, Caldwell ranks 91st of 120 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies default & legal as the primary driver in Caldwell. A bankruptcy filing rate of 255 — more than double the national median of 126.
"Caldwell County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Caldwell County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Caldwell County's distress score?
How does Caldwell County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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