Bell County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Serious · 79.9 | 23,317 people · 1st most distressed in Kentucky
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Bell County, KY shows significant household financial distress with a score of 79.9 — 63rd 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 1st of 120 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Bell County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 96.2 — worse than roughly 96% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 96.2
Unemployment Rate 80
Poverty Rate 99
Income vs. State Median 99
Child Poverty Rate 99
Disability Rate 97
Transfer Income Dependency 99
Legal Distress 87.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 87
Consumer Credit Distress 81.0
Debt in Collections 90
Medical Debt 66
Auto Loan Delinquency 86
Credit Card Delinquency 91
Uninsured Rate 37
Subprime Credit Population 86
Housing Cost Burden 71.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 79
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 71
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 23
Homeownership Rate 92
Economic Vitality 64.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 46
Rent-to-Income Ratio 94
Business Formation Rate 90
House Price Change (YoY) 12

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Bell County
Bell County, KY 79.9 Serious —
Clay County, KY 73.0 Serious -7.0
Knox County, KY 72.8 Serious -7.2
Lee County, VA 72.0 Serious -8.0
Harlan County, KY 70.7 Serious -9.2
Whitley County, KY 68.2 Serious -11.8
Claiborne County, TN 64.5 Elevated -15.4
Leslie County, KY 59.9 Elevated -20.0

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Bell County
Sumter County, GA 80.0 Crisis +0.1
Bee County, TX 79.8 Serious -0.1
Bamberg County, SC 79.8 Serious -0.1
Desha County, AR 79.8 Serious -0.2
Marshall County, MS 79.7 Serious -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Bell 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 Bell 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 Bell County, Kentucky?

    Bell County has a County Distress Index score of 79.9 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 63rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Bell County?

    The primary driver of distress in Bell County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 96.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Bell County compare to neighboring counties?

    Bell County (79.9) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Clay County, KY (73.0); Knox County, KY (72.8); Lee County, VA (72.0).

  • 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 Serious 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). Bell County's score of 79.9 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Bell 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 Bell County?

    Bell County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 23,317 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.