The means test in Kentucky: median income

The official median income for Kentucky, a quick first-step check and what happens if your income is above it.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

These are the official U.S. Trustee Program medians for Kentucky. If your household's yearly income is below the median for its size, you pass the first step.

1 person
$61,652
2 people
$73,892
3 people
$85,212
4 people
$109,443
Each extra person
+$11,100
Medians apply to cases filed on or after
April 1, 2026

Kentucky median income check

Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in Kentucky. Here are the official medians:

  • 1 person$61,652
  • 2 people$73,892
  • 3 people$85,212
  • 4 people$109,443
  • Each extra person+$11,100

Applies to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. 1 = one earner; 2, 3, 4 = people in the household; add = amount added for each person over 4

The numbers are worked out in your browser. Nothing you enter here is saved or sent.

Before taxes. Add up all income for the last 6 months and divide by 6.

Enter your household size and income

Which court you file in, in Kentucky

You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Your county decides the district and division: Eastern District list at https://www.kyeb.uscourts.gov/counties-division-county-codes; Western District counties are listed on each office page (https://www.kywb.uscourts.gov/content/louisville, https://www.kywb.uscourts.gov/content/bowling-green, https://www.kywb.uscourts.gov/content/owensboro, https://www.kywb.uscourts.gov/content/paducah).

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

Divisions: Ashland, Covington, Frankfort, Lexington, London

Clerk's phone: 859-233-2608

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Kentucky

Divisions: Louisville (Breckinridge, Bullitt, Hardin, Jefferson, Larue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Spencer, Washington); Bowling Green (Adair, Allen, Barren, Butler, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Edmonson, Green, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Russell, Simpson, Taylor, Todd, Warren); Owensboro (Daviess, Grayson, Hancock, Henderson, Hopkins, McLean, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Union, Webster); Paducah (Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Lyon, McCracken, Marshall, Trigg). Only the Louisville office is staffed; all paper filings go there.

Clerk's phone: (502) 627-5700

Court's self-help page

Exemptions in Kentucky at a glance

In Kentucky you choose state or federal exemptions (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep).

Home (homestead): $5,000 in real or personal property that you or a dependent use as a permanent home in Kentucky, or in a burial plot.

Car or other vehicle: $2,500 in one motor vehicle and its accessories. Ministers, attorneys, physicians, surgeons, chiropractors, veterinarians and dentists may exempt one more vehicle up to $2,500.

Wildcard (any property): $1,000 in any property, real or personal, for bankruptcy filers who use the Kentucky exemptions.

Exemptions in Kentucky

In nearby states

  • Tennessee: 1 person $63,979 · 2 people $82,846 · 3 people $97,511 · 4 people $109,585
  • Indiana: 1 person $64,461 · 2 people $81,986 · 3 people $95,627 · 4 people $115,656
  • Ohio: 1 person $66,239 · 2 people $83,725 · 3 people $102,504 · 4 people $123,702
  • West Virginia: 1 person $63,908 · 2 people $68,592 · 3 people $92,050 · 4 people $93,672
  • Illinois: 1 person $73,180 · 2 people $93,934 · 3 people $113,625 · 4 people $137,902
  • Alabama: 1 person $64,321 · 2 people $77,451 · 3 people $92,698 · 4 people $106,740

Steps for the means test in Kentucky

  1. Add up 6 months of income

    Collect proof of all income for the last 6 months.

  2. Do the official first step

    The official first step is Official Form 122A-1.

  3. Above the median?

    Next comes the expense calculation on Official Form 122A-2.

  4. Find your court

    Your court: Eastern District and Western District.

Where to get free help in Kentucky

Questions about the means test in Kentucky

What is the homestead exemption in Kentucky?

$5,000 in real or personal property that you or a dependent use as a permanent home in Kentucky, or in a burial plot

How do I find my bankruptcy court in Kentucky?

You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Your county decides the district and division: Eastern District list at https://www.kyeb.uscourts.gov/counties-division-county-codes; Western District counties are listed on each office page (https://www.kywb.uscourts.gov/content/louisville, https://www.kywb.uscourts.gov/content/bowling-green, https://www.kywb.uscourts.gov/content/owensboro, https://www.kywb.uscourts.gov/content/paducah).

What is the median income for the means test in Kentucky?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $61,652; 2 people: $73,892; 3 people: $85,212; 4 people: $109,443; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Who helps with bankruptcy for free in Kentucky?

Kentucky Justice Online (statewide legal aid finder), Legal Aid Society (Louisville area) and Kentucky Legal Aid (western and south-central Kentucky).

More for Kentucky