Fayette County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.6 | 320,154 people · 98th most distressed in Kentucky
American Default Research

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Fayette County, KY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.6 — 1926th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Kentucky, it ranks 98th of 120 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Fayette County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 79.5 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 79.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 85
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 84
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 67
Homeownership Rate 97
Rent-to-Income Ratio 65
Debt & Delinquency 52.8
Debt in Collections 56
Medical Debt 44
Student Loan Delinquency 43
Auto Loan Delinquency 55
Credit Card Delinquency 45
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 74
Income & Poverty 44.6
Poverty Rate 66
Income vs. State Median 16
Child Poverty Rate 52
Community Vulnerability 30.6
Uninsured Rate 38
Disability Rate 23
Employment & Wages 20.7
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 38
Business Formation Rate 6

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Fayette County
Fayette County, KY 45.6 Normal —
Bourbon County, KY 52.7 Elevated +7.1
Clark County, KY 45.5 Normal -0.1
Madison County, KY 43.1 Normal -2.5
Jessamine County, KY 38.6 Normal -7.0
Scott County, KY 33.4 Healthy -12.2
Woodford County, KY 29.3 Healthy -16.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Fayette County
Erie County, NY 45.6 Normal -0.0
Onondaga County, NY 45.7 Normal +0.1
Thurston County, WA 45.8 Normal +0.2
York County, SC 46.0 Normal +0.4
Rutherford County, TN 45.3 Normal -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Fayette County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Fayette County.

APPRISEN - LEXINGTON
LEXINGTON
800-355-2227 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseRental Help
COMMUNITY VENTURES CORPORATION
Lexington
859-231-0054 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/RehabPost-Purchase
REACH, INC.
Lexington
859-455-8057
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase

See all counselors in Kentucky →

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 Fayette 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

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Kentucky →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Fayette County has a County Distress Index score of 45.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,926th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 98th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Fayette County?

    The primary driver of distress in Fayette County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 79.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Fayette County compare to neighboring counties?

    Fayette County (45.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Bourbon County, KY (52.7); Clark County, KY (45.5); Madison County, KY (43.1).

  • 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 Fayette County?

    Fayette County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 320,154 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.