Wolfe County, Kentucky

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.5 | 6,282 people · 14th most distressed in Kentucky
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Wolfe County, KY shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.5 — 367th 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 14th of 120 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Wolfe County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 95.0 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 95.0
Unemployment Rate 95
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Disability Rate 95
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Housing Cost Burden 76.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 62
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 75
Homeownership Rate 71
Legal Distress 72.3
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 72
Economic Vitality 64.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 62
Rent-to-Income Ratio 82
Business Formation Rate 52
House Price Change (YoY) 47
Consumer Credit Distress 61.5
Debt in Collections 73
Medical Debt 48
Auto Loan Delinquency 59
Credit Card Delinquency 66
Uninsured Rate 5
Subprime Credit Population 79

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Wolfe County
Wolfe County, KY 70.5 Serious —
Powell County, KY 74.8 Serious +4.3
Lee County, KY 72.7 Serious +2.2
Magoffin County, KY 71.1 Serious +0.6
Morgan County, KY 64.7 Elevated -5.9
Breathitt County, KY 62.7 Elevated -7.8
Menifee County, KY 59.6 Elevated -11.0

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Wolfe County
Webster County, WV 70.5 Serious -0.0
Oregon County, MO 70.5 Serious -0.1
Perry County, AL 70.7 Serious +0.1
Lowndes County, AL 70.7 Serious +0.2
Taliaferro County, GA 70.4 Serious -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wolfe 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 Wolfe 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 Wolfe County, Kentucky?

    Wolfe County has a County Distress Index score of 70.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 367th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 14th in Kentucky out of 120 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wolfe County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wolfe County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Wolfe County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wolfe County (70.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Powell County, KY (74.8); Lee County, KY (72.7); Magoffin County, KY (71.1).

  • 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). Wolfe County's score of 70.5 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Wolfe 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 Wolfe County?

    Wolfe County, Kentucky has a population of approximately 6,282 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.