Madison County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Normal · 43.1 | 96,735 people · 102nd most distressed in Kentucky
American Default Research

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Madison County, KY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 43.1 — 2140th 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 102nd of 120 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Madison County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 64.5 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 64.5
Debt in Collections 69
Medical Debt 75
Student Loan Delinquency 43
Auto Loan Delinquency 52
Credit Card Delinquency 58
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 90
Housing Cost Burden 55.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 59
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 56
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 65
Homeownership Rate 89
Rent-to-Income Ratio 9
Income & Poverty 38.0
Poverty Rate 52
Income vs. State Median 19
Child Poverty Rate 43
Community Vulnerability 37.1
Uninsured Rate 25
Disability Rate 49
Employment & Wages 20.4
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 9
Business Formation Rate 3

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Madison County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Madison County
Madison County, KY 43.1 Normal —
Jackson County, KY 69.0 Serious +25.9
Estill County, KY 67.0 Serious +23.9
Rockcastle County, KY 62.3 Elevated +19.2
Garrard County, KY 50.3 Elevated +7.2
Fayette County, KY 45.6 Normal +2.5
Clark County, KY 45.5 Normal +2.4
Jessamine County, KY 38.6 Normal -4.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Madison County
Bradford County, PA 43.1 Normal 0.0
Armstrong County, PA 43.1 Normal -0.0
Elmore County, AL 43.1 Normal +0.0
Morgan County, IN 43.2 Normal +0.1
Canadian County, OK 42.9 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison County, Kentucky?

    Madison County has a County Distress Index score of 43.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,140th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 102nd in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Madison County?

    The primary driver of distress in Madison County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 64.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Madison County compare to neighboring counties?

    Madison County (43.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Jackson County, KY (69.0); Estill County, KY (67.0); Rockcastle County, KY (62.3).

  • 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 Madison County?

    Madison County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 96,735 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.