Fulton County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Serious · 79.9 | 6,338 people · 2nd most distressed in Kentucky
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Fulton County, KY shows significant household financial distress with a score of 79.9 — 64th 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 2nd of 120 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Fulton County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 89.1 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 89.1
Unemployment Rate 49
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 94
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Consumer Credit Distress 84.3
Debt in Collections 94
Medical Debt 76
Auto Loan Delinquency 92
Credit Card Delinquency 92
Uninsured Rate 45
Subprime Credit Population 83
Housing Cost Burden 78.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 83
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 77
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 57
Homeownership Rate 86
Legal Distress 62.5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 63
Economic Vitality 60.7
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 48
Rent-to-Income Ratio 81
Business Formation Rate 56
House Price Change (YoY) 74

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Fulton County
Fulton County, KY 79.9 Serious —
Mississippi County, MO 82.0 Crisis +2.1
Lake County, TN 71.8 Serious -8.1
New Madrid County, MO 70.1 Serious -9.8
Obion County, TN 56.9 Elevated -23.0
Hickman County, KY 46.8 Normal -33.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Fulton County
Taylor County, GA 80.0 Crisis +0.1
Humphreys County, MS 79.7 Serious -0.1
Sharkey County, MS 79.7 Serious -0.2
Montgomery County, MS 79.3 Serious -0.6
Catahoula Parish, LA 78.7 Serious -1.1

Download Data

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

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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 Fulton 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 Fulton County, Kentucky?

    Fulton County has a County Distress Index score of 79.9 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 64th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Fulton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Fulton County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 89.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Fulton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Fulton County (79.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Mississippi County, MO (82.0); Lake County, TN (71.8); New Madrid County, MO (70.1).

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

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

    Fulton 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 Fulton County?

    Fulton County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 6,338 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.