Elliott County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.2 | 7,245 people · 45th most distressed in Kentucky
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Elliott County, KY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.2 — 872nd 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 45th of 120 counties. It scores lower than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Elliott County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 93.2 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 93.2
Unemployment Rate 92
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 93
Child Poverty Rate 88
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Consumer Credit Distress 71.6
Debt in Collections 85
Medical Debt 79
Auto Loan Delinquency 15
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Uninsured Rate 45
Subprime Credit Population 91
Economic Vitality 51.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 22
Rent-to-Income Ratio 73
Business Formation Rate 95
House Price Change (YoY) 47
Housing Cost Burden 42.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 60
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 35
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 57
Homeownership Rate 6
Legal Distress 5.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Elliott County
Elliott County, KY 61.2 Elevated —
Rowan County, KY 66.8 Serious +5.6
Lawrence County, KY 65.7 Serious +4.5
Carter County, KY 65.4 Serious +4.2
Morgan County, KY 64.7 Elevated +3.5

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Elliott County
Cochran County, TX 61.1 Elevated -0.1
Menard County, TX 61.4 Elevated +0.2
Edwards County, TX 61.5 Elevated +0.3
Real County, TX 60.9 Elevated -0.3
Webster County, MS 61.6 Elevated +0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Elliott County

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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 Elliott 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 Elliott County, Kentucky?

    Elliott County has a County Distress Index score of 61.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 872nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 45th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Elliott County?

    The primary driver of distress in Elliott County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 93.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Elliott County compare to neighboring counties?

    Elliott County (61.2) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Rowan County, KY (66.8); Lawrence County, KY (65.7); Carter County, KY (65.4).

  • 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). Elliott County's score of 61.2 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Elliott 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 Elliott County?

    Elliott County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 7,245 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.