Breathitt County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Elevated · 62.7 | 12,953 people · 43rd most distressed in Kentucky
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Breathitt County, KY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 62.7 — 789th 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 43rd 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. Breathitt County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 92.9 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 92.9
Unemployment Rate 78
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Legal Distress 84.6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 85
Consumer Credit Distress 70.6
Debt in Collections 74
Medical Debt 61
Auto Loan Delinquency 90
Credit Card Delinquency 62
Uninsured Rate 5
Subprime Credit Population 88
Economic Vitality 56.4
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 27
Rent-to-Income Ratio 84
Business Formation Rate 95
House Price Change (YoY) 47
Housing Cost Burden 22.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 15
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 24
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 51

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Breathitt County
Breathitt County, KY 62.7 Elevated —
Lee County, KY 72.7 Serious +10.0
Magoffin County, KY 71.1 Serious +8.4
Wolfe County, KY 70.5 Serious +7.8
Owsley County, KY 64.9 Elevated +2.2
Perry County, KY 64.3 Elevated +1.6
Knott County, KY 63.3 Elevated +0.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Breathitt County
Scott County, IN 62.7 Elevated +0.0
Pontotoc County, MS 62.7 Elevated +0.0
Boyle County, KY 62.7 Elevated +0.0
Osage County, OK 62.7 Elevated -0.0
Fayette County, WV 62.8 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Breathitt 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 Breathitt 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 Breathitt County, Kentucky?

    Breathitt County has a County Distress Index score of 62.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 789th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 43rd in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Breathitt County?

    The primary driver of distress in Breathitt County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 92.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Breathitt County compare to neighboring counties?

    Breathitt County (62.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lee County, KY (72.7); Magoffin County, KY (71.1); Wolfe County, KY (70.5).

  • 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). Breathitt County's score of 62.7 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Breathitt 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 Breathitt County?

    Breathitt County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 12,953 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.