Clark County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.5 | 37,304 people · 99th most distressed in Kentucky
American Default Research

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Clark County, KY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.5 — 1937th 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 99th of 120 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Clark County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 57.6 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 57.6
Debt in Collections 71
Medical Debt 46
Student Loan Delinquency 1
Auto Loan Delinquency 76
Credit Card Delinquency 64
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 88
Housing Cost Burden 55.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 68
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 31
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 62
Homeownership Rate 64
Rent-to-Income Ratio 50
Employment & Wages 45.9
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 67
Business Formation Rate 44
Community Vulnerability 42.5
Uninsured Rate 6
Disability Rate 79
Income & Poverty 26.6
Poverty Rate 27
Income vs. State Median 11
Child Poverty Rate 42

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Clark County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Clark County
Clark County, KY 45.5 Normal —
Powell County, KY 67.2 Serious +21.6
Estill County, KY 67.0 Serious +21.5
Montgomery County, KY 56.0 Elevated +10.5
Bourbon County, KY 52.7 Elevated +7.2
Fayette County, KY 45.6 Normal +0.1
Madison County, KY 43.1 Normal -2.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Clark County
Stone County, MO 45.6 Normal +0.0
Tioga County, NY 45.6 Normal +0.0
Nez Perce County, ID 45.5 Normal -0.0
Ray County, MO 45.6 Normal +0.0
Taylor County, WV 45.6 Normal +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Clark 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 Clark 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 Clark County, Kentucky?

    Clark County has a County Distress Index score of 45.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,937th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 99th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Clark County?

    The primary driver of distress in Clark County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 57.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Clark County compare to neighboring counties?

    Clark County (45.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Powell County, KY (67.2); Estill County, KY (67.0); 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 Clark County?

    Clark County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 37,304 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.