Henry County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.0 | 15,973 people · 37th most distressed in Kentucky
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Henry County, KY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.0 — 708th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Legal Distress, where bankruptcy filing rates are well above the national average. Within Kentucky, it ranks 37th of 120 counties. It scores higher 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. Henry County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 88.2 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 88.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 88
Housing Cost Burden 70.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 58
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 71
Homeownership Rate 43
Economic Vitality 67.6
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 82
Rent-to-Income Ratio 67
Business Formation Rate 50
House Price Change (YoY) 30
Consumer Credit Distress 61.4
Debt in Collections 59
Medical Debt 62
Auto Loan Delinquency 56
Credit Card Delinquency 71
Uninsured Rate 47
Subprime Credit Population 64
Structural Poverty 48.0
Unemployment Rate 34
Poverty Rate 59
Income vs. State Median 17
Child Poverty Rate 55
Disability Rate 74
Transfer Income Dependency 57

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Henry County
Henry County, KY 64.0 Elevated —
Carroll County, KY 60.7 Elevated -3.3
Franklin County, KY 57.5 Elevated -6.5
Owen County, KY 56.9 Elevated -7.1
Trimble County, KY 45.9 Normal -18.1
Shelby County, KY 39.5 Normal -24.5
Oldham County, KY 19.6 Healthy -44.5

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Henry County
Newton County, MS 64.0 Elevated -0.0
Sabine Parish, LA 63.9 Elevated -0.1
Levy County, FL 63.9 Elevated -0.1
Jeff Davis County, GA 63.9 Elevated -0.1
Caroline County, MD 64.1 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Henry 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 Henry 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 Henry County, Kentucky?

    Henry County has a County Distress Index score of 64.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 708th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 37th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Henry County?

    The primary driver of distress in Henry County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 88.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Henry County compare to neighboring counties?

    Henry County (64.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Carroll County, KY (60.7); Franklin County, KY (57.5); Owen County, KY (56.9).

  • 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). Henry County's score of 64.0 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Henry 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 Henry County?

    Henry County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 15,973 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.