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)

Clay County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 120 counties in 2020, at 47.5%. Oldham County had the lowest, at 4.5%. The median was 23% and the figure for Kentucky was 19.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest47.5Clay County
Lowest4.5Oldham County
Median23120 counties
Kentucky19.4History

Map of counties, 2020

Adair County: 33.3 %Allen County: 23.1 %Anderson County: 13.1 %Ballard County: 22.4 %Barren County: 25.2 %Bath County: 33.3 %Bell County: 38.3 %Boone County: 8 %Bourbon County: 21.6 %Boyd County: 21.9 %Boyle County: 18.3 %Bracken County: 19.9 %Breathitt County: 37 %Breckinridge County: 22.6 %Bullitt County: 11.2 %Butler County: 22.2 %Caldwell County: 23.3 %Calloway County: 17.6 %Campbell County: 11.5 %Carlisle County: 23.3 %Carroll County: 23.9 %Carter County: 23.4 %Casey County: 32.9 %Christian County: 21.8 %Clark County: 20.9 %Clay County: 47.5 %Clinton County: 31.7 %Crittenden County: 26.9 %Cumberland County: 31 %Daviess County: 16 %Edmonson County: 22 %Elliott County: 35.5 %Estill County: 28.8 %Fayette County: 16.3 %Fleming County: 23.9 %Floyd County: 40.9 %Franklin County: 18.3 %Fulton County: 38.4 %Gallatin County: 19.6 %Garrard County: 18.3 %Grant County: 18.1 %Graves County: 24 %Grayson County: 25.2 %Green County: 26 %Greenup County: 17.6 %Hancock County: 18.9 %Hardin County: 14.3 %Harlan County: 36.5 %Harrison County: 18.6 %Hart County: 27.6 %Henderson County: 18.9 %Henry County: 17.9 %Hickman County: 33.7 %Hopkins County: 23.6 %Jackson County: 33.8 %Jefferson County: 15.4 %Jessamine County: 15.6 %Johnson County: 28 %Kenton County: 13.6 %Knott County: 35.5 %Knox County: 36.1 %Larue County: 19.5 %Laurel County: 25.1 %Lawrence County: 29.7 %Lee County: 40.7 %Leslie County: 31.8 %Letcher County: 28.8 %Lewis County: 32.1 %Lincoln County: 22.8 %Livingston County: 20.1 %Logan County: 21.1 %Lyon County: 18.8 %McCracken County: 21.2 %McCreary County: 40.9 %McLean County: 18 %Madison County: 16.9 %Magoffin County: 38.6 %Marion County: 20.4 %Marshall County: 14.8 %Martin County: 37.2 %Mason County: 22.8 %Meade County: 15.3 %Menifee County: 35.4 %Mercer County: 18.6 %Metcalfe County: 33.6 %Monroe County: 32.1 %Montgomery County: 20.5 %Morgan County: 30.2 %Muhlenberg County: 21.9 %Nelson County: 13.6 %Nicholas County: 26.8 %Ohio County: 21.5 %Oldham County: 4.5 %Owen County: 19.9 %Owsley County: 44 %Pendleton County: 20.1 %Perry County: 29.5 %Pike County: 27.7 %Powell County: 30.6 %Pulaski County: 26.5 %Robertson County: 23.6 %Rockcastle County: 28.2 %Rowan County: 28.8 %Russell County: 26.6 %Scott County: 10.3 %Shelby County: 11.8 %Simpson County: 18.8 %Spencer County: 8.2 %Taylor County: 22.5 %Todd County: 24.8 %Trigg County: 27.1 %Trimble County: 16 %Union County: 21.7 %Warren County: 23.7 %Washington County: 17.5 %Wayne County: 32.9 %Webster County: 19.3 %Whitley County: 28.7 %Wolfe County: 41 %Woodford County: 10.9 %
  • Under 17
  • 17 to 20
  • 20 to 23
  • 23 to 27
  • 27 to 33
  • 33 and over
%, 2020. 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, 2020

Clay County: 47.5 %Clay County47.5Owsley County: 44 %Owsley County44Wolfe County: 41 %Wolfe County41Floyd County: 40.9 %Floyd County40.9McCreary County: 40.9 %McCreary County40.9Lee County: 40.7 %Lee County40.7Magoffin County: 38.6 %Magoffin County38.6Fulton County: 38.4 %Fulton County38.4Bell County: 38.3 %Bell County38.3Martin County: 37.2 %Martin County37.2Breathitt County: 37 %Breathitt County37Harlan County: 36.5 %Harlan County36.5Knox County: 36.1 %Knox County36.1Elliott County: 35.5 %Elliott County35.5Knott County: 35.5 %Knott County35.5Menifee County: 35.4 %Menifee County35.4Jackson County: 33.8 %Jackson County33.8Hickman County: 33.7 %Hickman County33.7Metcalfe County: 33.6 %Metcalfe County33.6Adair County: 33.3 %Adair County33.3Bath County: 33.3 %Bath County33.3Casey County: 32.9 %Casey County32.9Wayne County: 32.9 %Wayne County32.9Lewis County: 32.1 %Lewis County32.1Monroe County: 32.1 %Monroe County32.1Leslie County: 31.8 %Leslie County31.8Clinton County: 31.7 %Clinton County31.7Cumberland County: 31 %Cumberland County31Powell County: 30.6 %Powell County30.6Morgan County: 30.2 %Morgan County30.2Lawrence County: 29.7 %Lawrence County29.7Perry County: 29.5 %Perry County29.5Estill County: 28.8 %Estill County28.8Letcher County: 28.8 %Letcher County28.8Rowan County: 28.8 %Rowan County28.8Whitley County: 28.7 %Whitley County28.7Rockcastle County: 28.2 %Rockcastle County28.2Johnson County: 28 %Johnson County28Pike County: 27.7 %Pike County27.7Hart County: 27.6 %Hart County27.6Clay County: 47.5 %Clay County47.5Owsley County: 44 %Owsley County44Wolfe County: 41 %Wolfe County41Floyd County: 40.9 %Floyd County40.9McCreary County: 40.9 %McCreary County40.9Lee County: 40.7 %Lee County40.7Magoffin County: 38.6 %Magoffin County38.6Fulton County: 38.4 %Fulton County38.4Bell County: 38.3 %Bell County38.3Martin County: 37.2 %Martin County37.2Breathitt County: 37 %Breathitt County37Harlan County: 36.5 %Harlan County36.5Knox County: 36.1 %Knox County36.1Elliott County: 35.5 %Elliott County35.5Knott County: 35.5 %Knott County35.5Menifee County: 35.4 %Menifee County35.4Jackson County: 33.8 %Jackson County33.8Hickman County: 33.7 %Hickman County33.7Metcalfe County: 33.6 %Metcalfe County33.6Adair County: 33.3 %Adair County33.3Bath County: 33.3 %Bath County33.3Casey County: 32.9 %Casey County32.9Wayne County: 32.9 %Wayne County32.9Lewis County: 32.1 %Lewis County32.1Monroe County: 32.1 %Monroe County32.1Leslie County: 31.8 %Leslie County31.8Clinton County: 31.7 %Clinton County31.7Cumberland County: 31 %Cumberland County31Powell County: 30.6 %Powell County30.6Morgan County: 30.2 %Morgan County30.2Lawrence County: 29.7 %Lawrence County29.7Perry County: 29.5 %Perry County29.5Estill County: 28.8 %Estill County28.8Letcher County: 28.8 %Letcher County28.8Rowan County: 28.8 %Rowan County28.8Whitley County: 28.7 %Whitley County28.7Rockcastle County: 28.2 %Rockcastle County28.2Johnson County: 28 %Johnson County28Pike County: 27.7 %Pike County27.7Hart County: 27.6 %Hart County27.6
%. 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

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Clay County47.5+4.9 pts
2Owsley County44+0.4 pts
3Wolfe County41-3 pts
4Floyd County40.9+6.7 pts
4McCreary County40.9-2.7 pts
6Lee County40.7-3.6 pts
7Magoffin County38.6-0.5 pts
8Fulton County38.4+0.6 pts
9Bell County38.3-2.8 pts
10Martin County37.2-1.1 pts
11Breathitt County37-0.7 pts
12Harlan County36.5-2.4 pts
13Knox County36.1-3.2 pts
14Elliott County35.5+4 pts
14Knott County35.5+1.4 pts
16Menifee County35.4-3.1 pts
17Jackson County33.8-2.2 pts
18Hickman County33.7+5.9 pts
19Metcalfe County33.6+1.3 pts
20Adair County33.3+3.5 pts
20Bath County33.3+3.9 pts
22Casey County32.90 pts
22Wayne County32.9-0.4 pts
24Lewis County32.1+1 pts
24Monroe County32.1+1.3 pts
26Leslie County31.8-6.7 pts
27Clinton County31.7-0.9 pts
28Cumberland County31-2.1 pts
29Powell County30.6-1.1 pts
30Morgan County30.2-3 pts
31Lawrence County29.7+1.1 pts
32Perry County29.5-2.5 pts
33Estill County28.8-3.4 pts
33Letcher County28.8-5.9 pts
33Rowan County28.8+2.8 pts
36Whitley County28.7+2.6 pts
37Rockcastle County28.2-2.9 pts
38Johnson County28-3.7 pts
39Pike County27.7-2.3 pts
40Hart County27.6+0.6 pts
41Trigg County27.1+4.3 pts
42Crittenden County26.9-5 pts
43Nicholas County26.8+0.1 pts
44Russell County26.6-5 pts
45Pulaski County26.5-4.3 pts
46Green County26+2.8 pts
47Barren County25.2-0.7 pts
47Grayson County25.2-4.4 pts
49Laurel County25.1-2.1 pts
50Todd County24.8+2.1 pts
51Graves County24-1.6 pts
52Carroll County23.9+1.6 pts
52Fleming County23.9-9.1 pts
54Warren County23.7+4.6 pts
55Hopkins County23.6-1.1 pts
55Robertson County23.6-5.1 pts
57Carter County23.4-4.3 pts
58Caldwell County23.3+0.9 pts
58Carlisle County23.3-1.4 pts
60Allen County23.1-1 pts
61Lincoln County22.8-2.9 pts
61Mason County22.8-0.4 pts
63Breckinridge County22.6-2.2 pts
64Taylor County22.5+1.4 pts
65Ballard County22.4-1.3 pts
66Butler County22.2-5 pts
67Edmonson County22+0.1 pts
68Boyd County21.9-10.2 pts
68Muhlenberg County21.9-2.6 pts
70Christian County21.8-2.7 pts
71Union County21.7+0.5 pts
72Bourbon County21.6+1.6 pts
73Ohio County21.5+1.1 pts
74McCracken County21.2-1.5 pts
75Logan County21.1-0.4 pts
76Clark County20.9+2.7 pts
77Montgomery County20.5-1.5 pts
78Marion County20.4+0.4 pts
79Livingston County20.1-0.5 pts
79Pendleton County20.1+0.2 pts
81Bracken County19.9+0.7 pts
81Owen County19.9-0.4 pts
83Gallatin County19.6+2.3 pts
84Larue County19.5-3.7 pts
85Webster County19.3-0.8 pts
86Hancock County18.9+3.3 pts
86Henderson County18.9-3.1 pts
88Lyon County18.8-1.4 pts
88Simpson County18.80 pts
90Harrison County18.6-1.9 pts
90Mercer County18.6-1.2 pts
92Boyle County18.3-0.8 pts
92Franklin County18.3+1.5 pts
92Garrard County18.3-4.1 pts
95Grant County18.1-0.6 pts
96McLean County18-0.6 pts
97Henry County17.9-3.9 pts
98Calloway County17.6-1.6 pts
98Greenup County17.6-4.3 pts
100Washington County17.5-2.3 pts
101Madison County16.9-1.3 pts
102Fayette County16.3-0.4 pts
103Daviess County16-3.5 pts
103Trimble County16-0.1 pts
105Jessamine County15.6-1.1 pts
106Jefferson County15.4-4.1 pts
107Meade County15.3+2.2 pts
108Marshall County14.8-2.1 pts
109Hardin County14.3+1 pts
110Kenton County13.6-2.3 pts
110Nelson County13.6-1.5 pts
112Anderson County13.1-1 pts
113Shelby County11.8-1 pts
114Campbell County11.5-1.3 pts
115Bullitt County11.20 pts
116Woodford County10.9-1.1 pts
117Scott County10.3-1.7 pts
118Spencer County8.2-1.3 pts
119Boone County8-0.7 pts
120Oldham County4.5-0.3 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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), 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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), 2020. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/kentucky-counties?period=2020. 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), 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/kentucky-counties?period=2020.

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), 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/kentucky-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_kentucky_by_2020,
  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), 2020}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/kentucky-counties?period=2020. 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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), 2020
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/kentucky-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/kentucky-counties?period=2020.
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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

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

Clay County, with 47.5% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Oldham County, with 4.5% in 2020.

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