Hopkins County, Kentucky
Above the national median for unemployment — and 5.2× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Hopkins County, Kentucky ranks 518th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 5% of the labor force is unemployed — above the national median of 4%. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
- 518th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 69.5 · moderate-high county distress, 45th in Kentucky.
- 5% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 89th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 494 — national median 126, ranked at the 98th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Auto loan delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 79th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Disability rate at 27% — national median 16%, ranked at the 98th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 28-point drop to Webster County marks where the Kentucky distress corridor ends.
"Hopkins County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile."
"The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Hopkins County's uninsured rate indicator is at the 16th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 58th percentile. The gap stands out against disability rate. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Madisonville.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Hopkins County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Hopkins County's value shown alongside KY's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Hopkins | KY median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 70 · Rank 859 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 6% | 5% | 79th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 6% | 5% | 60th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 29% | 28% | 23% | 71st | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 83 · Rank 311 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 28% | 29% | 23% | 68th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 494 | 243 | 126 | 98th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 43 · Rank 1,861 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 20% | 20% | 21% | 35th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 18% | 18% | 18% | 51st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 89 · Rank 342 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 5% | 4% | 89th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 63 · Rank 1,082 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 19% | 22% | 18% | 58th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 27% | 21% | 16% | 98th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 16% | 17% | 14% | 68th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 5% | 6% | 8% | 16th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (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), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Hopkins County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 143-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
MADISONVILLE, Ky. — Hopkins County ranks 518th 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 69.5 out of 100 gives Hopkins a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 517 counties rank more distressed. Within Kentucky, Hopkins ranks 45th of 120 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies labor as the primary driver in Hopkins. 5% of the labor force is unemployed — above the national median of 4%.
"Hopkins County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile," 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 Hopkins County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Hopkins County's distress score?
How does Hopkins County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Hopkins County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →