Anderson County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.5 | 24,613 people · 80th most distressed in Kentucky
American Default Research

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Anderson County, KY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.5 — 1178th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Legal Distress, where bankruptcy filing rates are well above the national average. Within Kentucky, it ranks 80th of 120 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Anderson County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 88.8 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 88.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 89
Housing Cost Burden 73.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 79
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 49
Homeownership Rate 30
Consumer Credit Distress 54.7
Debt in Collections 56
Medical Debt 70
Auto Loan Delinquency 58
Credit Card Delinquency 63
Uninsured Rate 5
Subprime Credit Population 52
Economic Vitality 38.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 55
Rent-to-Income Ratio 6
Business Formation Rate 46
House Price Change (YoY) 38
Structural Poverty 29.3
Unemployment Rate 38
Poverty Rate 13
Income vs. State Median 6
Child Poverty Rate 20
Disability Rate 73
Transfer Income Dependency 35

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Anderson County
Anderson County, KY 56.5 Elevated —
Franklin County, KY 57.5 Elevated +1.0
Washington County, KY 56.6 Elevated +0.1
Mercer County, KY 56.1 Elevated -0.4
Nelson County, KY 47.2 Normal -9.3
Shelby County, KY 39.5 Normal -16.9
Spencer County, KY 38.5 Normal -18.0
Woodford County, KY 34.6 Healthy -21.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Anderson County
Calloway County, KY 56.5 Elevated +0.0
Grayson County, KY 56.5 Elevated +0.0
Washington County, AL 56.5 Elevated +0.1
Washington County, KY 56.6 Elevated +0.1
George County, MS 56.4 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Anderson 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 Anderson 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 Anderson County, Kentucky?

    Anderson County has a County Distress Index score of 56.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,178th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 80th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Anderson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Anderson County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 88.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Anderson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Anderson County (56.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Franklin County, KY (57.5); Washington County, KY (56.6); Mercer County, KY (56.1).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). 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.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Elevated zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Anderson County's score of 56.5 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

  • What data sources power Anderson County's CDI score?

    Anderson County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Anderson County?

    Anderson County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 24,613 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.