Bath County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.3 | 12,975 people · 90th most distressed in Kentucky
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Bath County, KY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.3 — 1323rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Kentucky, it ranks 90th of 120 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Bath County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 79.4 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 79.4
Unemployment Rate 80
Poverty Rate 77
Income vs. State Median 57
Child Poverty Rate 84
Disability Rate 90
Transfer Income Dependency 93
Legal Distress 66.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 67
Consumer Credit Distress 63.9
Debt in Collections 78
Medical Debt 67
Auto Loan Delinquency 65
Credit Card Delinquency 36
Uninsured Rate 46
Subprime Credit Population 75
Economic Vitality 38.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 20
Rent-to-Income Ratio 30
Business Formation Rate 72
House Price Change (YoY) 94
Housing Cost Burden 21.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 11
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 54
Homeownership Rate 58

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Bath County
Bath County, KY 54.3 Elevated —
Rowan County, KY 66.8 Serious +12.5
Bourbon County, KY 64.8 Elevated +10.5
Nicholas County, KY 64.3 Elevated +10.0
Menifee County, KY 59.6 Elevated +5.3
Fleming County, KY 59.2 Elevated +4.9
Montgomery County, KY 55.8 Elevated +1.5

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Bath County
Mecosta County, MI 54.3 Elevated -0.0
Colfax County, NM 54.3 Elevated -0.0
Dickenson County, VA 54.3 Elevated -0.0
Baxter County, AR 54.2 Elevated -0.1
Fulton County, IN 54.4 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Bath 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 Bath 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 Bath County, Kentucky?

    Bath County has a County Distress Index score of 54.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,323rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 90th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Bath County?

    The primary driver of distress in Bath County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 79.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Bath County compare to neighboring counties?

    Bath County (54.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Rowan County, KY (66.8); Bourbon County, KY (64.8); Nicholas County, KY (64.3).

  • 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). Bath County's score of 54.3 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Bath 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 Bath County?

    Bath County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 12,975 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.