Powell County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Serious · 74.8 | 12,972 people · 4th most distressed in Kentucky
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Powell County, KY shows significant household financial distress with a score of 74.8 — 191st 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 4th 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. Powell County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 85.7 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 85.7
Unemployment Rate 52
Poverty Rate 91
Income vs. State Median 87
Child Poverty Rate 88
Disability Rate 90
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Consumer Credit Distress 75.3
Debt in Collections 88
Medical Debt 76
Auto Loan Delinquency 66
Credit Card Delinquency 94
Uninsured Rate 18
Subprime Credit Population 76
Legal Distress 75.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 75
Housing Cost Burden 74.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 83
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 78
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 40
Homeownership Rate 73
Economic Vitality 56.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 58
Rent-to-Income Ratio 64
Business Formation Rate 64
House Price Change (YoY) 8

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Powell County
Powell County, KY 74.8 Serious —
Lee County, KY 72.7 Serious -2.1
Wolfe County, KY 70.5 Serious -4.3
Estill County, KY 70.0 Serious -4.8
Menifee County, KY 59.6 Elevated -15.3
Clark County, KY 57.4 Elevated -17.5
Montgomery County, KY 55.8 Elevated -19.0

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Powell County
DeSoto County, FL 74.9 Serious +0.0
Claiborne Parish, LA 74.8 Serious -0.0
Richmond County, NC 74.8 Serious -0.0
Laurens County, GA 74.8 Serious -0.1
Hamilton County, FL 74.9 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Powell 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 Powell 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 Powell County, Kentucky?

    Powell County has a County Distress Index score of 74.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 191st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Powell County?

    The primary driver of distress in Powell County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 85.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Powell County compare to neighboring counties?

    Powell County (74.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lee County, KY (72.7); Wolfe County, KY (70.5); Estill County, KY (70.0).

  • 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). Powell County's score of 74.8 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Powell 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 Powell County?

    Powell County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 12,972 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.