Garrard County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.3 | 17,829 people · 79th most distressed in Kentucky
American Default Research

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Garrard County, KY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.3 — 1574th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage gaps and disability rates are moderately elevated. Within Kentucky, it ranks 79th of 120 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Garrard County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 60.3 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 60.3
Uninsured Rate 42
Disability Rate 79
Income & Poverty 59.1
Poverty Rate 76
Income vs. State Median 24
Child Poverty Rate 78
Debt & Delinquency 52.6
Debt in Collections 60
Medical Debt 66
Student Loan Delinquency 5
Auto Loan Delinquency 54
Credit Card Delinquency 53
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 78
Housing Cost Burden 50.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 66
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 69
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 86
Homeownership Rate 20
Rent-to-Income Ratio 13
Employment & Wages 28.6
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 24
Business Formation Rate 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Garrard County
Garrard County, KY 50.3 Elevated —
Rockcastle County, KY 62.3 Elevated +12.0
Lincoln County, KY 54.0 Elevated +3.7
Boyle County, KY 48.8 Normal -1.5
Madison County, KY 43.1 Normal -7.2
Mercer County, KY 40.2 Normal -10.1
Jessamine County, KY 38.6 Normal -11.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Garrard County
Pine County, MN 50.2 Elevated -0.0
Jefferson County, IA 50.2 Elevated -0.1
Delta County, MI 50.2 Elevated -0.1
Gratiot County, MI 50.4 Elevated +0.1
Kent County, MD 50.4 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Garrard 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 Garrard 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 Garrard County, Kentucky?

    Garrard County has a County Distress Index score of 50.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,574th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 79th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Garrard County?

    The primary driver of distress in Garrard County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 60.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Garrard County compare to neighboring counties?

    Garrard County (50.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Rockcastle County, KY (62.3); Lincoln County, KY (54.0); Boyle County, KY (48.8).

  • 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 Garrard County?

    Garrard County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 17,829 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.