Kentucky
Population4.5m
Counties120county-level areas on the 2024 Census map
Density44.1people per km² of land
Median household income$62,41715th percentile of states
How it has changed
The state’s own figures from 2010 to 2024. A measure published for only one year shows as a single point instead of a line.
Loading…
The state figure, and the range across its counties
The state figure is the one its own agency publishes. It is never an average of the counties. You cannot average medians (middle values) to get a new median, and a rate has to be worked out again from the added-up counts. The county range next to it shows what a single state number has to hide.
Sometimes fewer counties report than the state has. The missing ones were held back because their counts were too small to publish — mostly deaths. A range from only part of the state is not the state’s full range. It can even sit entirely above or below the state figure. So the number of counties reporting is shown next to it.
You can sort by any column. 29 of these 166 measures have a clear better end, and those are ranked best first. For example, the lowest infant death rate is first place, and so is the highest life expectancy. The rest have no better end, so they are ranked highest first, and the cell says “highest” instead of “best”. A state is not winning or losing by how much of its tax comes from severance taxes (taxes on oil, gas and minerals taken from the ground).
| Alcohol-involved share of driving deaths | 0.256% | 18th best of 51 | 0% | 0.279% | 0.6% | 83 |
| Arrivals per 100 people staying | 2.65 | 36th highest of 51 | 2.59 | 6.29 | 14.1 | 120 |
| Arrivals per 100 staying, $200,000 or more | 2.09 | 33rd highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 50 | 52.7 | 24th highest of 52 | 26.1 | 59.4 | 153 | 60 |
| Black Protestant adherents | 2.43 | 15th highest of 51 | 0 | 0.76 | 7.7 | 120 |
| Black-white residential segregation | 62.5 | 26th highest of 51 | 2.4 | 49.6 | 89.3 | 81 |
| Business closing rate | 8.2 | 45th highest of 51 | 0 | 7.68 | 24.6 | 120 |
| Business opening rate | 9.38 | 33rd highest of 51 | 0 | 9.2 | 19.4 | 120 |
| Catholic adherents | 7.86 | 43rd highest of 51 | 0 | 1.71 | 28.6 | 120 |
| Child mortality | 60.1 | 34th best of 51 | 26.8 | 58.7 | 119 | 55 |
| Child poverty rate, ages 0-17 | 20.2% | 44th best of 51 | 5% | 22.3% | 53.6% | 120 |
| Children in single-parent households | 0.255% | 19th highest of 51 | 0.0725% | 0.238% | 0.423% | 111 |
| Congregations per 10,000 people | 18.1 | 10th highest of 51 | 5.44 | 26.1 | 68.6 | 120 |
| Departures per 100 people staying | 2.48 | 40th highest of 51 | 2.81 | 5.84 | 15.8 | 120 |
| Departures per 100 staying, $200,000 or more | 2.17 | 34th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Drug overdose deaths | 49.9 | 47th best of 51 | 12.8 | 50.8 | 123 | 90 |
| Effective general sales tax rate | 2.25 | 31st highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Effective individual income tax rate | 3.15 | 8th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Effective property tax rate | 0.765 | 29th highest of 52 | 0.481 | 0.718 | 1.06 | 119 |
| Effective property tax rate on income | 1.95 | 43rd highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Evangelical Protestant adherents | 31.4 | 6th highest of 51 | 3.78 | 32.7 | 129 | 120 |
| Fine particulate matter | 8 | 37th best of 51 | 5.6 | 8 | 9.8 | 119 |
| Firearm fatalities | 18.4 | 38th best of 51 | 6.85 | 18.4 | 42 | 73 |
| Firearm share of suicides, standardised | 117 | 12th highest of 51 | 88.5 | 125 | 164 | 87 |
| Firearm suicide rate | 11.4 | 14th highest of 51 | 6.06 | 13.3 | 23.5 | 87 |
| Flu vaccination among Medicare enrollees | 0.46% | 33rd best of 51 | 0.15% | 0.4% | 0.56% | 120 |
| Gini index of income inequality | 0.478 | 38th best of 52 | 0.391 | 0.46 | 0.558 | 120 |
| High school graduation | 0.907% | 2nd best of 48 | 0.791% | 0.925% | 0.98% | 113 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.3% | 20th highest of 52 | 52.2% | 73.7% | 88% | 120 |
| Homicide rate | 7.23 | 35th best of 51 | 1.92 | 5.41 | 17.5 | 27 |
| Homicide rate, annual | 6.98 | 22nd highest of 51 | 6.56 | 11.6 | 18.9 | 3 |
| How much faster the top bracket arrives than everyone else | -0.252 | 36th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Income gap between arrivals and departures | $-5,200 | 35th highest of 51 | $-14,260 | $2,106 | $17,570 | 120 |
| Infant mortality | 6.05 | 32nd best of 51 | 3.94 | 6.18 | 9.1 | 25 |
| Injury deaths | 110 | 46th best of 51 | 59.4 | 110 | 232 | 119 |
| Life expectancy | 73.3 years | 48th best of 51 | 64.5 years | 72.5 years | 79.7 years | 120 |
| Local income tax as a share of income | 0.766 | 5th highest of 13 | 0.00759 | 0.421 | 1.42 | 108 |
| Mainline Protestant adherents | 5.54 | 27th highest of 51 | 0 | 5.17 | 19.2 | 120 |
| Material security score | -0.558 | 41st highest of 51 | -3.33 | -0.213 | 1.35 | 120 |
| Mean adjusted gross income per return | $73,748 | 47th best of 51 | $43,490 | $60,320 | $130,600 | 120 |
| Mean income of arriving households | $60,478 | 45th highest of 51 | $32,000 | $46,240 | $102,500 | 120 |
| Mean income of departing households | $65,679 | 40th highest of 51 | $32,700 | $43,810 | $96,600 | 120 |
| Mean travel time to work | 24 min | 20th best of 52 | 16.8 min | 26.3 min | 42.3 min | 120 |
| Median age | 39.1 years | 25th highest of 52 | 28.6 years | 41.3 years | 47.9 years | 120 |
| Median gross rent | $933 | 47th highest of 52 | $427 | $757 | $1,253 | 119 |
| Median home value | $192,300 | 47th highest of 52 | $61,800 | $138,300 | $375,000 | 120 |
| Median household income | $62,417 | 45th best of 52 | $29,050 | $55,020 | $121,500 | 120 |
| Median household income (model-based) | $61,099 | 47th best of 51 | $35,000 | $55,510 | $120,800 | 120 |
| Median property tax bill | 1,472 | 44th highest of 52 | 391 | 935 | 3,454 | 120 |
| Membership organisations | 10.2 | 27th best of 51 | 0 | 8.2 | 20.5 | 120 |
| Millionaire returns as a share of all returns | 0.243 | 49th highest of 52 | — | — | — | — |
| Millionaires' share of all income | 8.64 | 48th highest of 52 | — | — | — | — |
| Motor vehicle crash deaths | 17.4 | 43rd best of 51 | 7.37 | 22.6 | 66.6 | 106 |
| Net business formation rate | 1.17 | 20th highest of 51 | -16.9 | 1.47 | 12.8 | 120 |
| Net domestic migration rate | 1.61 | 20th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Net migration per 100 people staying | 0.177 | 20th highest of 51 | -2.19 | 0.408 | 2.66 | 120 |
| Net migration per 100 staying, $200,000 or more | -0.0765 | 26th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Orthodox Christian adherents | 0.08 | 40th highest of 51 | 0 | 0 | 0.49 | 120 |
| Other religion adherents | 2.12 | 46th highest of 51 | 0 | 0.99 | 7.03 | 120 |
| People per tax return | 2 | 10th highest of 51 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 120 |
| Per capita income | $34,960 | 44th best of 52 | $15,250 | $29,370 | $52,770 | 120 |
| Per capita personal income | $55,667 | 47th best of 51 | $29,750 | $46,120 | $82,700 | 120 |
| Poverty rate | 16.1% | 47th best of 52 | 3.96% | 18.4% | 38.1% | 120 |
| Poverty rate (model-based) | 16.1% | 47th best of 51 | 5.8% | 16.8% | 48.1% | 120 |
| Premature mortality | 565 | 48th best of 51 | 299 | 607 | 1,074 | 120 |
| Preventable hospital stays | 3,336 | 48th best of 51 | 1,271 | 3,414 | 8,902 | 120 |
| Private job growth | 2.43 | 17th highest of 52 | -9.88 | 2.84 | 18.4 | 120 |
| Religious adherents | 49.4 | 22nd highest of 51 | 9.14 | 48.3 | 130 | 120 |
| Republican share of the two-party vote, 2024 | 65.5 | 7th highest of 51 | 40.8 | 79.5 | 92.1 | 120 |
| Returns claiming charitable contributions | 4.12% | 43rd highest of 51 | 0% | 2.25% | 10.2% | 120 |
| Returns claiming the earned income credit | 18% | 10th highest of 51 | 6.92% | 19.8% | 34.3% | 120 |
| Returns reporting capital gains | 13.6% | 46th highest of 51 | 2.98% | 10.5% | 25.7% | 120 |
| Returns reporting unemployment compensation | 1.91% | 34th highest of 51 | 0% | 1.97% | 5.57% | 120 |
| Safety score | -1.52 | 50th highest of 51 | -3.94 | -0.826 | 0.742 | 93 |
| Share aged 65 and over | 17% | 28th highest of 52 | 12.6% | 18.5% | 25.8% | 120 |
| Share American Indian or Alaska Native, not Hispanic | 0.0782% | 44th highest of 51 | 0% | 0% | 0.459% | 23 |
| Share Asian, not Hispanic | 1.5% | 43rd highest of 52 | 0% | 0.538% | 4.54% | 58 |
| Share Black, not Hispanic | 7.77% | 25th highest of 52 | 0% | 3.56% | 24.3% | 89 |
| Share divorced | 13% | 6th highest of 52 | 9.37% | 13.6% | 18.9% | 120 |
| Share foreign-born | 4.43% | 42nd highest of 52 | 0% | 2.2% | 11% | 59 |
| Share Hispanic or Latino, any race | 4.7% | 43rd highest of 52 | 0% | 2.78% | 10.8% | 99 |
| Share in the same house a year ago | 86.2% | 24th highest of 51 | 74.8% | 88.7% | 94.9% | 120 |
| Share Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, not Hispanic | 0.074% | 18th highest of 49 | 0% | 0% | 0.499% | 80 |
| Share never married | 29.7% | 47th highest of 52 | 20.2% | 25.1% | 40.6% | 120 |
| Share now married | 50.6% | 23rd highest of 52 | 41.3% | 53.4% | 62% | 120 |
| Share of births to unmarried women | 33.7% | 18th highest of 52 | 0% | 41.8% | 100% | 46 |
| Share of some other race, not Hispanic | 0.263% | 48th highest of 52 | 0% | 0% | 0.348% | 31 |
| Share of suicides by firearm | 63.9% | 10th highest of 51 | 48.1% | 68.2% | 90.9% | 87 |
| Share of taxes from alcohol | 0.779 | 10th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from corporate income | 6.04 | 23rd highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from corporation licences | 0.568 | 10th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from death and gift | 0.285 | 18th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from gambling | 0.000259 | 42nd highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from general sales and gross receipts | 23.1 | 29th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from individual income | 32.2 | 4th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from insurance premiums | 2.65 | 5th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from licences | 2.92 | 43rd highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from motor fuel | 3.01 | 18th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from motor vehicle licences | 1.06 | 38th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from occupation and business licences | 0.653 | 35th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from other taxes | 1.17 | 31st highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from property | 20 | 42nd highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from property transfer | 0.115 | 33rd highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from public utilities | 1.98 | 7th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from selective sales | 14.6 | 7th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from severance | 0.595 | 13th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from sports betting and pari-mutuels | 0.227 | 6th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of taxes from tobacco | 1.38 | 7th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Share of two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.3% | 42nd highest of 52 | 1.07% | 2.72% | 6.17% | 97 |
| Share separated | 1.79% | 16th highest of 52 | 0.805% | 1.96% | 6.77% | 87 |
| Share White, not Hispanic | 82.3% | 8th highest of 52 | 63.3% | 92.1% | 97.6% | 120 |
| Share widowed | 6.63% | 6th highest of 52 | 4.29% | 7.44% | 11.7% | 120 |
| Share with a bachelor's degree or higher | 27% | 48th best of 52 | 6.22% | 16.6% | 47.3% | 120 |
| State and local income tax as a share of income | 3.15 | 4th highest of 12 | — | — | — | — |
| State income tax as a share of income | 2.38 | 21st highest of 50 | — | — | — | — |
| State taxes as a share of income | 6.8 | 18th highest of 50 | — | — | — | — |
| Suicide rate | 17.5 | 32nd best of 51 | 11.1 | 19.3 | 33.5 | 73 |
| Top state income tax rate | 4.5% | 33rd highest of 50 | — | — | — | — |
| Total tax burden | 9.77 | 24th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Unemployment rate | 4.25% | 45th best of 52 | 3.3% | 4.55% | 8.4% | 120 |
| Vacancy rate | 10.9% | 26th highest of 52 | 4.07% | 14.4% | 31% | 120 |
| Years of potential life lost | 11,687 | 46th best of 51 | 5,389 | 12,410 | 23,920 | 119 |
| Aggregate travel time to work | 43,734,000 min | 26th highest of 52 | 21,840 min | 181,000 min | 7,448,000 min | 120 |
| Business establishments | 86,735 | 28th highest of 51 | 24 | 267 | 18,440 | 120 |
| Business establishments closed | 7,073 | 30th highest of 51 | 0 | 20 | 1,694 | 120 |
| Business establishments opened | 8,084 | 30th highest of 51 | 0 | 27 | 1,827 | 120 |
| Employed | 1,969,900 | 27th highest of 52 | 786 | 7,252 | 375,900 | 120 |
| Foreign-born population | 199,600 | 32nd highest of 52 | 0 | 644 | 73,720 | 59 |
| Gross domestic product | $283,270,000k | 28th highest of 51 | $37,980k | $652,800k | $76,180,000k | 120 |
| Housing units | 2,010,700 | 26th highest of 52 | 996 | 8,637 | 357,900 | 120 |
| Labour force | 2,057,300 | 27th highest of 52 | 832 | 7,612 | 391,700 | 120 |
| Local income tax collected | $1,941,300k | 6th highest of 13 | $54k | $3,464k | $610,000k | 108 |
| Millionaire tax returns | 4,810 | 32nd highest of 52 | — | — | — | — |
| Net domestic migration | 7,297 | 18th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| Occupied housing units | 1,792,000 | 25th highest of 52 | 791 | 7,230 | 329,400 | 120 |
| Owner-occupied housing units | 1,223,600 | 25th highest of 52 | 596 | 5,324 | 203,600 | 120 |
| People covered by a tax return | 3,763,200 | 25th highest of 51 | 1,800 | 15,760 | 665,000 | 120 |
| People in households earning $200,000 or more who did not move | 235,200 | 31st highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| People who did not move | 3,301,500 | 25th highest of 51 | 1,530 | 13,920 | 577,200 | 120 |
| Personal income | $253,320,000k | 28th highest of 51 | $94,980k | $885,200k | $53,170,000k | 120 |
| Population | 4,550,600 | 26th highest of 51 | 2,334 | 19,690 | 783,400 | 120 |
| Population | 4,526,200 | 26th highest of 51 | 2,313 | 19,690 | 772,100 | 120 |
| Population (firearm measures) | 4,223,300 | 26th highest of 51 | 7,903 | 23,340 | 732,400 | 87 |
| Population (WONDER) | 4,526,200 | 26th highest of 51 | 112,300 | 320,200 | 772,100 | 3 |
| Population aged 15 and over | 3,666,200 | 26th highest of 52 | 1,734 | 15,890 | 633,700 | 120 |
| Population aged 25 and over | 3,078,200 | 26th highest of 52 | 1,514 | 13,380 | 539,400 | 120 |
| Population aged 65 and over | 768,000 | 26th highest of 52 | 420 | 3,412 | 131,200 | 120 |
| Population below the poverty line | 707,480 | 22nd highest of 52 | 573 | 3,496 | 110,800 | 120 |
| Population below the poverty line | 709,400 | 22nd highest of 51 | 442 | 3,410 | 122,700 | 120 |
| Population for whom poverty status is determined | 4,382,800 | 26th highest of 52 | 2,090 | 18,870 | 762,900 | 120 |
| Population for whom poverty status is determined | 4,406,200 | 26th highest of 51 | 2,255 | 19,290 | 757,600 | 120 |
| Population in the same house one year ago | 3,888,600 | 26th highest of 51 | 1,675 | 17,330 | 658,400 | 120 |
| Population with a bachelor's degree or higher | 830,860 | 27th highest of 52 | 205 | 2,261 | 197,300 | 120 |
| Population, decennial census | 4,505,800 | 26th highest of 51 | 2,193 | 19,520 | 783,000 | 120 |
| Presidential votes cast, 2024 | 2,074,500 | 26th highest of 51 | 1,144 | 8,905 | 354,100 | 120 |
| Private jobs | 1,680,000 | 26th highest of 52 | 138 | 3,997 | 437,300 | 120 |
| State and local tax collections | $24,745,000k | 28th highest of 51 | — | — | — | — |
| State individual income tax collected | $6,037,900k | 20th highest of 50 | — | — | — | — |
| State tax collected, all taxes | $17,217,000k | 25th highest of 50 | — | — | — | — |
| Tax returns filed | 1,980,600 | 26th highest of 51 | 910 | 7,615 | 379,600 | 120 |
| Total population | 4,510,700 | 26th highest of 52 | 2,239 | 19,640 | 777,400 | 120 |
| Unemployed | 87,372 | 21st highest of 52 | 46 | 358 | 15,840 | 120 |
| Vacant housing units | 218,660 | 27th highest of 52 | 205 | 1,184 | 28,530 | 120 |
| Women aged 15 to 50 | 1,024,200 | 26th highest of 52 | 519 | 4,182 | 184,000 | 120 |
| Women who gave birth in the past year | 53,943 | 26th highest of 52 | 118 | 393 | 9,505 | 60 |
| Workers aged 16 and over who commute | 1,820,600 | 26th highest of 52 | 659 | 6,744 | 334,300 | 120 |
Links inside Kentucky
These are the site’s strongest pairs nationwide, worked out again using only this state’s counties. The r column shows how closely two measures rise and fall together, from −1 (opposite) to +1 (in step); 0 means no link. A link that shows up nationally but disappears inside every state is really about differences between states. A link that also holds here is not.
These figures are before adjusting for anything. Unlike the national figures, they do not take out population density, income or education.
| Pair | r within KY | counties |
|---|---|---|
| Median age × Share aged 65 and overInside Kentucky, where Median age is higher, Share aged 65 and over tends to be higher: a strong link across 120 counties, before adjusting for anything. | +0.84 | 120 |
What this state is divided into
120 county-level areas, largest first. Each one is compared with its peers — the counties across the country most like it — not with the rest of this state.
Jefferson County · Fayette County · Kenton County · Boone County · Warren County · Hardin County · Daviess County · Madison County · Campbell County · Bullitt County · Christian County · Oldham County · McCracken County · Pulaski County · Laurel County · Scott County · Pike County · Jessamine County · Franklin County · Shelby County · Boyd County · Nelson County · Hopkins County · Barren County · Henderson County · Calloway County · Clark County · Whitley County · Graves County · Greenup County · Floyd County · Marshall County · Muhlenberg County · Boyle County · Knox County · Meade County · Montgomery County · Perry County · Logan County · Woodford County · Grayson County · Carter County · Taylor County · Harlan County · Grant County · Rowan County · Lincoln County · Anderson County · Bell County · Ohio County · Mercer County · Johnson County · Letcher County · Allen County · Breckinridge County · Bourbon County · Clay County · Spencer County · Simpson County · Marion County · Wayne County · Hart County · Adair County · Harrison County · Russell County · Garrard County · Mason County · McCreary County · Lawrence County · Rockcastle County · Casey County · Henry County · Fleming County · Larue County · Pendleton County · Trigg County · Estill County · Knott County · Morgan County · Breathitt County · Union County · Powell County · Lewis County · Jackson County · Webster County · Bath County · Caldwell County · Butler County · Todd County · Edmonson County · Washington County · Magoffin County · Monroe County · Green County · Owen County · Martin County · Carroll County · Metcalfe County · Leslie County · Clinton County · McLean County · Hancock County · Crittenden County · Livingston County · Lyon County · Gallatin County · Trimble County · Bracken County · Ballard County · Nicholas County · Lee County · Elliott County · Wolfe County · Fulton County · Menifee County · Cumberland County · Carlisle County · Hickman County · Owsley County · Robertson County