Data / Rankings / Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) / Counties in Kentucky

Counties in Kentucky by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)

Owsley County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 120 counties in 2016, at 55.9%. Oldham County had the lowest, at 6%. The median was 27.8% and the figure for Kentucky was 24.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest55.9Owsley County
Lowest6Oldham County
Median27.8120 counties
Kentucky24.4History

Map of counties, 2016

Adair County: 36.7 %Allen County: 28 %Anderson County: 15.3 %Ballard County: 24.3 %Barren County: 30.4 %Bath County: 34.4 %Bell County: 47.4 %Boone County: 10.3 %Bourbon County: 27.3 %Boyd County: 26.1 %Boyle County: 23.2 %Bracken County: 23.8 %Breathitt County: 44.2 %Breckinridge County: 26.2 %Bullitt County: 14.4 %Butler County: 27.4 %Caldwell County: 33.6 %Calloway County: 24.9 %Campbell County: 16.7 %Carlisle County: 25.3 %Carroll County: 32.3 %Carter County: 31.6 %Casey County: 36.6 %Christian County: 27 %Clark County: 24.8 %Clay County: 52.4 %Clinton County: 36.7 %Crittenden County: 29.2 %Cumberland County: 38.1 %Daviess County: 19.9 %Edmonson County: 30.7 %Elliott County: 37 %Estill County: 39.1 %Fayette County: 22.3 %Fleming County: 33.8 %Floyd County: 38.4 %Franklin County: 20.9 %Fulton County: 46.7 %Gallatin County: 23.9 %Garrard County: 24.4 %Grant County: 22 %Graves County: 30 %Grayson County: 32.2 %Green County: 28.7 %Greenup County: 24.4 %Hancock County: 17.4 %Hardin County: 18.5 %Harlan County: 44.1 %Harrison County: 23.4 %Hart County: 30.1 %Henderson County: 24.9 %Henry County: 30.7 %Hickman County: 32.9 %Hopkins County: 24.3 %Jackson County: 40.5 %Jefferson County: 20.9 %Jessamine County: 21.2 %Johnson County: 31.9 %Kenton County: 18.2 %Knott County: 47 %Knox County: 46.5 %Larue County: 27.8 %Laurel County: 31.6 %Lawrence County: 33.7 %Lee County: 52.6 %Leslie County: 38.9 %Letcher County: 44.7 %Lewis County: 37.5 %Lincoln County: 31.6 %Livingston County: 24.1 %Logan County: 26.2 %Lyon County: 22.8 %McCracken County: 25.6 %McCreary County: 47.4 %McLean County: 23.4 %Madison County: 23.2 %Magoffin County: 42.6 %Marion County: 26.6 %Marshall County: 19.2 %Martin County: 44 %Mason County: 27.8 %Meade County: 18 %Menifee County: 42.4 %Mercer County: 20.6 %Metcalfe County: 37.4 %Monroe County: 35 %Montgomery County: 25.5 %Morgan County: 36.2 %Muhlenberg County: 26.4 %Nelson County: 16.4 %Nicholas County: 30.3 %Ohio County: 29.2 %Oldham County: 6 %Owen County: 25 %Owsley County: 55.9 %Pendleton County: 21.1 %Perry County: 38.8 %Pike County: 41.6 %Powell County: 40.7 %Pulaski County: 27.3 %Robertson County: 33.7 %Rockcastle County: 32.8 %Rowan County: 28.5 %Russell County: 37 %Scott County: 13.8 %Shelby County: 15.7 %Simpson County: 24.6 %Spencer County: 10.7 %Taylor County: 28.9 %Todd County: 27.8 %Trigg County: 24.8 %Trimble County: 21.2 %Union County: 23.1 %Warren County: 22.7 %Washington County: 22.6 %Wayne County: 37.7 %Webster County: 23.7 %Whitley County: 38.1 %Wolfe County: 43.4 %Woodford County: 17 %
  • Under 21
  • 21 to 25
  • 25 to 28
  • 28 to 33
  • 33 to 39
  • 39 and over
%, 2016. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2016

Owsley County: 55.9 %Owsley County55.9Lee County: 52.6 %Lee County52.6Clay County: 52.4 %Clay County52.4Bell County: 47.4 %Bell County47.4McCreary County: 47.4 %McCreary County47.4Knott County: 47 %Knott County47Fulton County: 46.7 %Fulton County46.7Knox County: 46.5 %Knox County46.5Letcher County: 44.7 %Letcher County44.7Breathitt County: 44.2 %Breathitt County44.2Harlan County: 44.1 %Harlan County44.1Martin County: 44 %Martin County44Wolfe County: 43.4 %Wolfe County43.4Magoffin County: 42.6 %Magoffin County42.6Menifee County: 42.4 %Menifee County42.4Pike County: 41.6 %Pike County41.6Powell County: 40.7 %Powell County40.7Jackson County: 40.5 %Jackson County40.5Estill County: 39.1 %Estill County39.1Leslie County: 38.9 %Leslie County38.9Perry County: 38.8 %Perry County38.8Floyd County: 38.4 %Floyd County38.4Cumberland County: 38.1 %Cumberland County38.1Whitley County: 38.1 %Whitley County38.1Wayne County: 37.7 %Wayne County37.7Lewis County: 37.5 %Lewis County37.5Metcalfe County: 37.4 %Metcalfe County37.4Elliott County: 37 %Elliott County37Russell County: 37 %Russell County37Adair County: 36.7 %Adair County36.7Clinton County: 36.7 %Clinton County36.7Casey County: 36.6 %Casey County36.6Morgan County: 36.2 %Morgan County36.2Monroe County: 35 %Monroe County35Bath County: 34.4 %Bath County34.4Fleming County: 33.8 %Fleming County33.8Lawrence County: 33.7 %Lawrence County33.7Robertson County: 33.7 %Robertson County33.7Caldwell County: 33.6 %Caldwell County33.6Hickman County: 32.9 %Hickman County32.9Owsley County: 55.9 %Owsley County55.9Lee County: 52.6 %Lee County52.6Clay County: 52.4 %Clay County52.4Bell County: 47.4 %Bell County47.4McCreary County: 47.4 %McCreary County47.4Knott County: 47 %Knott County47Fulton County: 46.7 %Fulton County46.7Knox County: 46.5 %Knox County46.5Letcher County: 44.7 %Letcher County44.7Breathitt County: 44.2 %Breathitt County44.2Harlan County: 44.1 %Harlan County44.1Martin County: 44 %Martin County44Wolfe County: 43.4 %Wolfe County43.4Magoffin County: 42.6 %Magoffin County42.6Menifee County: 42.4 %Menifee County42.4Pike County: 41.6 %Pike County41.6Powell County: 40.7 %Powell County40.7Jackson County: 40.5 %Jackson County40.5Estill County: 39.1 %Estill County39.1Leslie County: 38.9 %Leslie County38.9Perry County: 38.8 %Perry County38.8Floyd County: 38.4 %Floyd County38.4Cumberland County: 38.1 %Cumberland County38.1Whitley County: 38.1 %Whitley County38.1Wayne County: 37.7 %Wayne County37.7Lewis County: 37.5 %Lewis County37.5Metcalfe County: 37.4 %Metcalfe County37.4Elliott County: 37 %Elliott County37Russell County: 37 %Russell County37Adair County: 36.7 %Adair County36.7Clinton County: 36.7 %Clinton County36.7Casey County: 36.6 %Casey County36.6Morgan County: 36.2 %Morgan County36.2Monroe County: 35 %Monroe County35Bath County: 34.4 %Bath County34.4Fleming County: 33.8 %Fleming County33.8Lawrence County: 33.7 %Lawrence County33.7Robertson County: 33.7 %Robertson County33.7Caldwell County: 33.6 %Caldwell County33.6Hickman County: 32.9 %Hickman County32.9
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Owsley County55.9-5.7 pts
2Lee County52.6+2.4 pts
3Clay County52.4-0.6 pts
4Bell County47.4-9.4 pts
4McCreary County47.4-4.5 pts
6Knott County47+0.6 pts
7Fulton County46.7-0.9 pts
8Knox County46.5+1.3 pts
9Letcher County44.7+2.8 pts
10Breathitt County44.2+1.3 pts
11Harlan County44.1-3.6 pts
12Martin County44-1.3 pts
13Wolfe County43.4-7 pts
14Magoffin County42.6-2.5 pts
15Menifee County42.4-1.1 pts
16Pike County41.6+9.6 pts
17Powell County40.7+1.4 pts
18Jackson County40.5-0.5 pts
19Estill County39.1+0.3 pts
20Leslie County38.9-0.5 pts
21Perry County38.8+1.6 pts
22Floyd County38.4-4.7 pts
23Cumberland County38.1+1.9 pts
23Whitley County38.1-0.8 pts
25Wayne County37.7-2.6 pts
26Lewis County37.5+1.9 pts
27Metcalfe County37.4-1 pts
28Elliott County37-3.3 pts
28Russell County37+1.2 pts
30Adair County36.7-4.3 pts
30Clinton County36.7-2.9 pts
32Casey County36.6-1.6 pts
33Morgan County36.2-4.7 pts
34Monroe County35-2.8 pts
35Bath County34.4-3.4 pts
36Fleming County33.8+2 pts
37Lawrence County33.7-0.6 pts
37Robertson County33.7-3 pts
39Caldwell County33.6+4.2 pts
40Hickman County32.9+3 pts
41Rockcastle County32.8+0.4 pts
42Carroll County32.3+3.6 pts
43Grayson County32.2-0.3 pts
44Johnson County31.9-2.5 pts
45Carter County31.6+2.2 pts
45Laurel County31.6-1.5 pts
45Lincoln County31.6+0.2 pts
48Edmonson County30.7+2.1 pts
48Henry County30.7+4.2 pts
50Barren County30.4+1.7 pts
51Nicholas County30.3-4 pts
52Hart County30.1-1 pts
53Graves County30+2.6 pts
54Crittenden County29.2-2.1 pts
54Ohio County29.2+1.7 pts
56Taylor County28.9-4.9 pts
57Green County28.7-0.4 pts
58Rowan County28.5-3.9 pts
59Allen County28-2.2 pts
60Larue County27.8+0.1 pts
60Mason County27.8-1.5 pts
60Todd County27.8-0.3 pts
63Butler County27.4-3.9 pts
64Bourbon County27.3+2.9 pts
64Pulaski County27.3-4.4 pts
66Christian County27-1.9 pts
67Marion County26.6-1 pts
68Muhlenberg County26.4+0.2 pts
69Breckinridge County26.2+0.6 pts
69Logan County26.2+1.9 pts
71Boyd County26.1-3.3 pts
72McCracken County25.6+1 pts
73Montgomery County25.5-4.4 pts
74Carlisle County25.3+0.1 pts
75Owen County25-0.4 pts
76Calloway County24.9+0.8 pts
76Henderson County24.9+0.7 pts
78Clark County24.8+0.9 pts
78Trigg County24.8-1.7 pts
80Simpson County24.6-1.6 pts
81Garrard County24.4+0.1 pts
81Greenup County24.4+0.9 pts
83Ballard County24.3-0.2 pts
83Hopkins County24.3-2.3 pts
85Livingston County24.1-0.9 pts
86Gallatin County23.9+0.1 pts
87Bracken County23.8-0.9 pts
88Webster County23.7-1.2 pts
89Harrison County23.4-1 pts
89McLean County23.4-2.6 pts
91Boyle County23.2-1.7 pts
91Madison County23.2+3.1 pts
93Union County23.1+2.4 pts
94Lyon County22.8+0.4 pts
95Warren County22.7-0.2 pts
96Washington County22.6-1 pts
97Fayette County22.3-0.3 pts
98Grant County22-5 pts
99Jessamine County21.2-2.6 pts
99Trimble County21.2-1.1 pts
101Pendleton County21.1-2.4 pts
102Franklin County20.9-1.6 pts
102Jefferson County20.9-1.5 pts
104Mercer County20.6-1.3 pts
105Daviess County19.9-1 pts
106Marshall County19.2-0.3 pts
107Hardin County18.5-3.1 pts
108Kenton County18.20 pts
109Meade County18-2.3 pts
110Hancock County17.4-2.6 pts
111Woodford County170 pts
112Campbell County16.7-1.1 pts
113Nelson County16.4-2.4 pts
114Shelby County15.7-1.4 pts
115Anderson County15.3-1.5 pts
116Bullitt County14.4-0.1 pts
117Scott County13.8-4.3 pts
118Spencer County10.7-1.2 pts
119Boone County10.3-0.2 pts
120Oldham County6-0.7 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People under 18 in families or living alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people under 18 whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for the nation, states and counties.

A model-based single-year estimate; the national figure is the one-year American Community Survey estimate. The Census Bureau advises comparing years from 2006 on only. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate. The rate for all ages is poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties (Counties in Kentucky by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2016) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Kentucky by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2016. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/kentucky-counties?period=2016. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Counties in Kentucky by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/kentucky-counties?period=2016.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Kentucky by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/kentucky-counties?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_kentucky_by_2016,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Kentucky by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2016}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/kentucky-counties?period=2016. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Kentucky by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2016
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/kentucky-counties?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/kentucky-counties?period=2016.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Owsley County, with 55.9% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Oldham County, with 6% in 2016.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Kentucky: more rankings