Meade County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.2 | 30,131 people · 105th most distressed in Kentucky
American Default Research

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Meade County, KY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.2 — 2278th 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 105th of 120 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Meade County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 54.0 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 54.0
Debt in Collections 56
Medical Debt 68
Student Loan Delinquency 0
Auto Loan Delinquency 54
Credit Card Delinquency 56
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 90
Employment & Wages 46.5
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 20
Business Formation Rate 74
Community Vulnerability 43.9
Uninsured Rate 4
Disability Rate 83
Housing Cost Burden 35.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 34
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 30
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 32
Homeownership Rate 56
Rent-to-Income Ratio 24
Income & Poverty 26.1
Poverty Rate 35
Income vs. State Median 14
Child Poverty Rate 29

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Meade County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Meade County
Meade County, KY 41.2 Normal —
Crawford County, IN 57.7 Elevated +16.5
Breckinridge County, KY 50.9 Elevated +9.7
Hardin County, KY 47.6 Normal +6.4
Perry County, IN 42.4 Normal +1.2
Harrison County, IN 34.5 Healthy -6.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Meade County
Anderson County, KY 41.2 Normal 0.0
Caroline County, VA 41.1 Normal -0.0
Fremont County, ID 41.2 Normal +0.1
Clay County, SD 41.2 Normal +0.1
Tama County, IA 41.3 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Meade 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 Meade 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 Meade County, Kentucky?

    Meade County has a County Distress Index score of 41.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,278th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 105th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Meade County?

    The primary driver of distress in Meade County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 54.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Meade County compare to neighboring counties?

    Meade County (41.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Crawford County, IN (57.7); Breckinridge County, KY (50.9); Hardin County, KY (47.6).

  • 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 Meade County?

    Meade County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 30,131 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.