Morgan County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.7 | 14,283 people · 34th most distressed in Kentucky
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Morgan County, KY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.7 — 661st 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 34th of 120 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Morgan County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 89.5 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 89.5
Unemployment Rate 69
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 91
Child Poverty Rate 86
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Consumer Credit Distress 77.5
Debt in Collections 73
Medical Debt 58
Auto Loan Delinquency 89
Credit Card Delinquency 92
Uninsured Rate 55
Subprime Credit Population 82
Legal Distress 65.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 66
Economic Vitality 48.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 21
Rent-to-Income Ratio 69
Business Formation Rate 91
House Price Change (YoY) 47
Housing Cost Burden 28.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 18
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 34
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 42
Homeownership Rate 28

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Morgan County
Morgan County, KY 64.7 Elevated —
Johnson County, KY 72.5 Serious +7.8
Magoffin County, KY 71.1 Serious +6.5
Wolfe County, KY 70.5 Serious +5.9
Rowan County, KY 66.8 Serious +2.1
Lawrence County, KY 65.7 Serious +1.0
Elliott County, KY 61.2 Elevated -3.5
Menifee County, KY 59.6 Elevated -5.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Morgan County
Pierce County, GA 64.7 Elevated 0.0
Wharton County, TX 64.7 Elevated 0.0
Adair County, KY 64.7 Elevated +0.0
Hill County, TX 64.7 Elevated +0.0
Montgomery County, NY 64.6 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Morgan 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 Morgan 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 Morgan County, Kentucky?

    Morgan County has a County Distress Index score of 64.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 661st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 34th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Morgan County?

    The primary driver of distress in Morgan County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 89.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Morgan County compare to neighboring counties?

    Morgan County (64.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Johnson County, KY (72.5); Magoffin County, KY (71.1); Wolfe County, KY (70.5).

  • 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). Morgan County's score of 64.7 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Morgan 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 Morgan County?

    Morgan County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 14,283 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.