Marion County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.5 | 19,834 people · 86th most distressed in Kentucky
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Marion County, KY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 48.5 — 1705th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Kentucky, it ranks 86th of 120 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Marion County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 73.1 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 73.1
Debt in Collections 70
Medical Debt 71
Student Loan Delinquency 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 66
Credit Card Delinquency 54
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 83
Income & Poverty 53.7
Poverty Rate 59
Income vs. State Median 55
Child Poverty Rate 47
Community Vulnerability 44.2
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 83
Employment & Wages 38.4
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 12
Business Formation Rate 42
Housing Cost Burden 33.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 59
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 13
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 32
Homeownership Rate 34
Rent-to-Income Ratio 29

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Marion County
Marion County, KY 48.5 Normal —
Casey County, KY 68.1 Serious +19.6
Taylor County, KY 53.9 Elevated +5.4
Washington County, KY 51.0 Elevated +2.5
Boyle County, KY 48.8 Normal +0.2
Larue County, KY 46.8 Normal -1.7
Nelson County, KY 37.7 Normal -10.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Marion County
Menominee County, MI 48.5 Normal +0.0
Mason County, MI 48.7 Normal +0.1
Middlesex County, VA 48.4 Normal -0.2
East Feliciana Parish, LA 48.4 Normal -0.2
Trousdale County, TN 48.4 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Marion 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 Marion 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Marion County has a County Distress Index score of 48.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,705th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 86th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Marion County?

    The primary driver of distress in Marion County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 73.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Marion County compare to neighboring counties?

    Marion County (48.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Casey County, KY (68.1); Taylor County, KY (53.9); Washington County, KY (51.0).

  • 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 Marion County?

    Marion County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 19,834 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.