Washington County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Elevated · 51.0 | 12,267 people · 75th most distressed in Kentucky
American Default Research

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Washington County, KY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 51.0 — 1511th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Kentucky, it ranks 75th of 120 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Washington County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 75.0 — worse than roughly 75% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 75.0
Uninsured Rate 61
Disability Rate 89
Debt & Delinquency 64.0
Debt in Collections 69
Medical Debt 82
Student Loan Delinquency 73
Auto Loan Delinquency 66
Credit Card Delinquency 24
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 70
Housing Cost Burden 46.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 73
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 56
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 48
Homeownership Rate 28
Rent-to-Income Ratio 27
Income & Poverty 41.5
Poverty Rate 47
Income vs. State Median 35
Child Poverty Rate 43
Employment & Wages 28.0
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Business Formation Rate 43

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Washington County
Washington County, KY 51.0 Elevated —
Boyle County, KY 48.8 Normal -2.2
Marion County, KY 48.5 Normal -2.5
Anderson County, KY 41.2 Normal -9.8
Mercer County, KY 40.2 Normal -10.8
Nelson County, KY 37.7 Normal -13.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Washington County
Ohio County, KY 51.0 Elevated +0.0
Jefferson County, IN 51.0 Elevated -0.0
Hopkins County, KY 51.0 Elevated -0.0
Southampton County, VA 51.0 Elevated -0.1
Hill County, MT 51.1 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County, Kentucky?

    Washington County has a County Distress Index score of 51.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,511th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 75th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Washington County?

    The primary driver of distress in Washington County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 75.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Washington County compare to neighboring counties?

    Washington County (51.0) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Boyle County, KY (48.8); Marion County, KY (48.5); Anderson County, KY (41.2).

  • 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 Washington County?

    Washington County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 12,267 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.