Casey County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Serious · 69.5 | 15,918 people · 17th most distressed in Kentucky
American Default Research

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Casey County, KY shows significant household financial distress with a score of 69.5 — 418th 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 17th 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. Casey County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 83.3 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 83.3
Unemployment Rate 52
Poverty Rate 89
Income vs. State Median 94
Child Poverty Rate 86
Disability Rate 68
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Legal Distress 83.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 83
Consumer Credit Distress 73.1
Debt in Collections 66
Medical Debt 68
Auto Loan Delinquency 83
Credit Card Delinquency 90
Uninsured Rate 74
Subprime Credit Population 61
Economic Vitality 57.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 42
Rent-to-Income Ratio 75
Business Formation Rate 60
House Price Change (YoY) 75
Housing Cost Burden 53.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 79
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 45
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 38
Homeownership Rate 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Casey County
Casey County, KY 69.5 Serious —
Pulaski County, KY 64.9 Elevated -4.6
Adair County, KY 64.7 Elevated -4.8
Boyle County, KY 62.7 Elevated -6.7
Russell County, KY 60.7 Elevated -8.8
Taylor County, KY 59.5 Elevated -9.9
Lincoln County, KY 57.8 Elevated -11.7
Marion County, KY 53.0 Elevated -16.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Casey County
Dorchester County, MD 69.5 Serious +0.0
Evangeline Parish, LA 69.4 Serious -0.0
Bladen County, NC 69.3 Serious -0.1
Uvalde County, TX 69.3 Serious -0.1
Escambia County, AL 69.6 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Casey 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 Casey 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 Casey County, Kentucky?

    Casey County has a County Distress Index score of 69.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 418th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 17th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Casey County?

    The primary driver of distress in Casey County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 83.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Casey County compare to neighboring counties?

    Casey County (69.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Pulaski County, KY (64.9); Adair County, KY (64.7); Boyle County, KY (62.7).

  • 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). Casey County's score of 69.5 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Casey 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 Casey County?

    Casey County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 15,918 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.