Knox County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Serious · 71.5 | 29,794 people · 5th most distressed in Kentucky
American Default Research

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Knox County, KY shows significant household financial distress with a score of 71.5 — 143rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Kentucky, it ranks 5th of 120 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Knox County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 99.0 — worse than roughly 99% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 99.0
Poverty Rate 99
Income vs. State Median 98
Child Poverty Rate 99
Debt & Delinquency 78.4
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 57
Student Loan Delinquency 66
Auto Loan Delinquency 71
Credit Card Delinquency 88
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 97
Community Vulnerability 64.5
Uninsured Rate 35
Disability Rate 94
Employment & Wages 60.9
Unemployment Rate 76
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Business Formation Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 55.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 31
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 55
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 16
Homeownership Rate 83
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Knox County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Knox County
Knox County, KY 71.5 Serious —
Bell County, KY 77.8 Serious +6.2
Whitley County, KY 67.7 Serious -3.9
Clay County, KY 67.0 Serious -4.6
Laurel County, KY 60.8 Elevated -10.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Knox County
Dallas County, AL 71.5 Serious -0.0
Grundy County, TN 71.6 Serious +0.0
Washington County, NC 71.6 Serious +0.1
Sequatchie County, TN 71.7 Serious +0.1
Crittenden County, AR 71.2 Serious -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Knox County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Knox County.

KCEOC COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP, INC.
Gray
606-546-3152 Website
Financial CounselingHome Improvement/RehabHomeless/DisplacementPost-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 Knox 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 Knox County, Kentucky?

    Knox County has a County Distress Index score of 71.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 143rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Knox County?

    The primary driver of distress in Knox County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 99.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Knox County compare to neighboring counties?

    Knox County (71.5) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Bell County, KY (77.8); Whitley County, KY (67.7); Clay County, KY (67.0).

  • 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 Knox County?

    Knox County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 29,794 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.