Monroe County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.5 | 11,306 people · 89th most distressed in Kentucky
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Monroe County, KY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.5 — 1311th 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 89th 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. Monroe County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 86.9 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 86.9
Unemployment Rate 52
Poverty Rate 94
Income vs. State Median 91
Child Poverty Rate 90
Disability Rate 93
Transfer Income Dependency 92
Consumer Credit Distress 56.3
Debt in Collections 65
Medical Debt 59
Auto Loan Delinquency 76
Credit Card Delinquency 34
Uninsured Rate 24
Subprime Credit Population 59
Housing Cost Burden 48.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 31
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 58
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 39
Homeownership Rate 73
Economic Vitality 39.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Rent-to-Income Ratio 69
Business Formation Rate 54
House Price Change (YoY) 29
Legal Distress 19.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 20

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Monroe County
Monroe County, KY 54.5 Elevated —
Barren County, KY 67.1 Serious +12.6
Macon County, TN 64.4 Elevated +9.9
Allen County, KY 63.5 Elevated +9.1
Metcalfe County, KY 56.6 Elevated +2.2
Cumberland County, KY 56.6 Elevated +2.1
Clay County, TN 54.8 Elevated +0.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Monroe County
Sabine County, TX 54.5 Elevated 0.0
La Paz County, AZ 54.5 Elevated -0.0
Scurry County, TX 54.5 Elevated +0.0
Scott County, VA 54.5 Elevated +0.0
Banks County, GA 54.4 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Monroe 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 Monroe 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 Monroe County, Kentucky?

    Monroe County has a County Distress Index score of 54.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,311th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 89th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Monroe County?

    The primary driver of distress in Monroe County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 86.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Monroe County compare to neighboring counties?

    Monroe County (54.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Barren County, KY (67.1); Macon County, TN (64.4); Allen County, KY (63.5).

  • 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). Monroe County's score of 54.5 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Monroe 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 Monroe County?

    Monroe County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 11,306 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.