Data / Rankings / Area median family income (HUD) / Counties in Kentucky

Counties in Kentucky by area median family income (HUD)

Boone County had the highest area median family income (HUD) of 120 counties in 2021, at $85,400. McCreary County had the lowest, at $33,000. The median was $56,800. Source: the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest85,400Boone County
Lowest33,000McCreary County
Median56,800120 counties

Map of counties, 2021

Adair County: 47,800 USDAllen County: 57,900 USDAnderson County: 70,300 USDBallard County: 59,900 USDBarren County: 49,200 USDBath County: 49,500 USDBell County: 33,400 USDBoone County: 85,400 USDBourbon County: 75,500 USDBoyd County: 62,600 USDBoyle County: 56,900 USDBracken County: 85,400 USDBreathitt County: 35,200 USDBreckinridge County: 64,200 USDBullitt County: 76,900 USDButler County: 56,700 USDCaldwell County: 59,500 USDCalloway County: 60,200 USDCampbell County: 85,400 USDCarlisle County: 57,000 USDCarroll County: 52,800 USDCarter County: 44,200 USDCasey County: 43,100 USDChristian County: 63,400 USDClark County: 75,500 USDClay County: 35,100 USDClinton County: 41,100 USDCrittenden County: 60,100 USDCumberland County: 47,100 USDDaviess County: 64,400 USDEdmonson County: 68,500 USDElliott County: 40,200 USDEstill County: 41,700 USDFayette County: 75,500 USDFleming County: 53,900 USDFloyd County: 40,400 USDFranklin County: 72,000 USDFulton County: 46,400 USDGallatin County: 85,400 USDGarrard County: 65,200 USDGrant County: 57,300 USDGraves County: 59,000 USDGrayson County: 48,700 USDGreen County: 54,200 USDGreenup County: 62,600 USDHancock County: 64,400 USDHardin County: 61,000 USDHarlan County: 33,900 USDHarrison County: 64,300 USDHart County: 49,500 USDHenderson County: 78,400 USDHenry County: 76,900 USDHickman County: 56,700 USDHopkins County: 60,700 USDJackson County: 43,100 USDJefferson County: 76,900 USDJessamine County: 75,500 USDJohnson County: 50,200 USDKenton County: 85,400 USDKnott County: 40,700 USDKnox County: 37,500 USDLarue County: 61,000 USDLaurel County: 49,900 USDLawrence County: 43,600 USDLee County: 38,800 USDLeslie County: 40,500 USDLetcher County: 38,500 USDLewis County: 47,500 USDLincoln County: 50,500 USDLivingston County: 61,300 USDLogan County: 58,700 USDLyon County: 64,800 USDMcCracken County: 63,600 USDMcCreary County: 33,000 USDMcLean County: 64,400 USDMadison County: 66,800 USDMagoffin County: 41,900 USDMarion County: 59,200 USDMarshall County: 68,200 USDMartin County: 45,400 USDMason County: 60,700 USDMeade County: 74,000 USDMenifee County: 49,800 USDMercer County: 65,600 USDMetcalfe County: 47,000 USDMonroe County: 53,100 USDMontgomery County: 55,000 USDMorgan County: 44,600 USDMuhlenberg County: 56,500 USDNelson County: 73,000 USDNicholas County: 56,300 USDOhio County: 52,000 USDOldham County: 76,900 USDOwen County: 55,400 USDOwsley County: 40,900 USDPendleton County: 85,400 USDPerry County: 45,600 USDPike County: 44,300 USDPowell County: 49,800 USDPulaski County: 52,800 USDRobertson County: 56,100 USDRockcastle County: 52,100 USDRowan County: 51,800 USDRussell County: 47,100 USDScott County: 75,500 USDShelby County: 78,900 USDSimpson County: 61,200 USDSpencer County: 76,900 USDTaylor County: 50,200 USDTodd County: 54,100 USDTrigg County: 63,400 USDTrimble County: 76,900 USDUnion County: 57,800 USDWarren County: 68,500 USDWashington County: 66,700 USDWayne County: 45,000 USDWebster County: 54,400 USDWhitley County: 49,800 USDWolfe County: 38,200 USDWoodford County: 75,500 USD
  • Under 44K
  • 44K to 50K
  • 50K to 57K
  • 57K to 63K
  • 63K to 74K
  • 74K and over
USD, 2021. Source: HUD, HUD Section 8 income limits by county: area median family income, dollars. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Boone County: 85,400 USDBoone County85,400Bracken County: 85,400 USDBracken County85,400Campbell County: 85,400 USDCampbell County85,400Gallatin County: 85,400 USDGallatin County85,400Kenton County: 85,400 USDKenton County85,400Pendleton County: 85,400 USDPendleton County85,400Shelby County: 78,900 USDShelby County78,900Henderson County: 78,400 USDHenderson County78,400Bullitt County: 76,900 USDBullitt County76,900Henry County: 76,900 USDHenry County76,900Jefferson County: 76,900 USDJefferson County76,900Oldham County: 76,900 USDOldham County76,900Spencer County: 76,900 USDSpencer County76,900Trimble County: 76,900 USDTrimble County76,900Bourbon County: 75,500 USDBourbon County75,500Clark County: 75,500 USDClark County75,500Fayette County: 75,500 USDFayette County75,500Jessamine County: 75,500 USDJessamine County75,500Scott County: 75,500 USDScott County75,500Woodford County: 75,500 USDWoodford County75,500Meade County: 74,000 USDMeade County74,000Nelson County: 73,000 USDNelson County73,000Franklin County: 72,000 USDFranklin County72,000Anderson County: 70,300 USDAnderson County70,300Edmonson County: 68,500 USDEdmonson County68,500Warren County: 68,500 USDWarren County68,500Marshall County: 68,200 USDMarshall County68,200Madison County: 66,800 USDMadison County66,800Washington County: 66,700 USDWashington County66,700Mercer County: 65,600 USDMercer County65,600Garrard County: 65,200 USDGarrard County65,200Lyon County: 64,800 USDLyon County64,800Daviess County: 64,400 USDDaviess County64,400Hancock County: 64,400 USDHancock County64,400McLean County: 64,400 USDMcLean County64,400Harrison County: 64,300 USDHarrison County64,300Breckinridge County: 64,200 USDBreckinridge County64,200McCracken County: 63,600 USDMcCracken County63,600Christian County: 63,400 USDChristian County63,400Trigg County: 63,400 USDTrigg County63,400Boone County: 85,400 USDBoone County85,400Bracken County: 85,400 USDBracken County85,400Campbell County: 85,400 USDCampbell County85,400Gallatin County: 85,400 USDGallatin County85,400Kenton County: 85,400 USDKenton County85,400Pendleton County: 85,400 USDPendleton County85,400Shelby County: 78,900 USDShelby County78,900Henderson County: 78,400 USDHenderson County78,400Bullitt County: 76,900 USDBullitt County76,900Henry County: 76,900 USDHenry County76,900Jefferson County: 76,900 USDJefferson County76,900Oldham County: 76,900 USDOldham County76,900Spencer County: 76,900 USDSpencer County76,900Trimble County: 76,900 USDTrimble County76,900Bourbon County: 75,500 USDBourbon County75,500Clark County: 75,500 USDClark County75,500Fayette County: 75,500 USDFayette County75,500Jessamine County: 75,500 USDJessamine County75,500Scott County: 75,500 USDScott County75,500Woodford County: 75,500 USDWoodford County75,500Meade County: 74,000 USDMeade County74,000Nelson County: 73,000 USDNelson County73,000Franklin County: 72,000 USDFranklin County72,000Anderson County: 70,300 USDAnderson County70,300Edmonson County: 68,500 USDEdmonson County68,500Warren County: 68,500 USDWarren County68,500Marshall County: 68,200 USDMarshall County68,200Madison County: 66,800 USDMadison County66,800Washington County: 66,700 USDWashington County66,700Mercer County: 65,600 USDMercer County65,600Garrard County: 65,200 USDGarrard County65,200Lyon County: 64,800 USDLyon County64,800Daviess County: 64,400 USDDaviess County64,400Hancock County: 64,400 USDHancock County64,400McLean County: 64,400 USDMcLean County64,400Harrison County: 64,300 USDHarrison County64,300Breckinridge County: 64,200 USDBreckinridge County64,200McCracken County: 63,600 USDMcCracken County63,600Christian County: 63,400 USDChristian County63,400Trigg County: 63,400 USDTrigg County63,400
USD. Source: HUD, HUD Section 8 income limits by county: area median family income, dollars. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021
USD		Change on 2020
1Boone County85,400-1%
1Bracken County85,400-1%
1Campbell County85,400-1%
1Gallatin County85,400-1%
1Kenton County85,400-1%
1Pendleton County85,400-1%
7Shelby County78,9000%
8Henderson County78,400+4.8%
9Bullitt County76,900-0.8%
9Henry County76,900-0.8%
9Jefferson County76,900-0.8%
9Oldham County76,900-0.8%
9Spencer County76,900-0.8%
9Trimble County76,900-0.8%
15Bourbon County75,500-4.9%
15Clark County75,500-4.9%
15Fayette County75,500-4.9%
15Jessamine County75,500-4.9%
15Scott County75,500-4.9%
15Woodford County75,500-4.9%
21Meade County74,000+11.6%
22Nelson County73,000+2.5%
23Franklin County72,000+1.3%
24Anderson County70,300+0.9%
25Edmonson County68,500+6.4%
25Warren County68,500+6.4%
27Marshall County68,200+1.6%
28Madison County66,800-5.4%
29Washington County66,700+8.5%
30Mercer County65,600-0.6%
31Garrard County65,200+3.7%
32Lyon County64,800-0.2%
33Daviess County64,400+1.6%
33Hancock County64,400+1.6%
33McLean County64,400+1.6%
36Harrison County64,300+4%
37Breckinridge County64,200+3%
38McCracken County63,600-20.5%
39Christian County63,400-8%
39Trigg County63,400-8%
41Boyd County62,600+5.9%
41Greenup County62,600+5.9%
43Livingston County61,300+4.8%
44Simpson County61,200+3.2%
45Hardin County61,000-11.1%
45Larue County61,000-11.1%
47Hopkins County60,700+1%
47Mason County60,700-0.8%
49Calloway County60,200+0.2%
50Crittenden County60,100+2%
51Ballard County59,900+2.9%
52Caldwell County59,500+2.2%
53Marion County59,200+4.2%
54Graves County59,000+5%
55Logan County58,700+1.9%
56Allen County57,900+6.2%
57Union County57,800+2.7%
58Grant County57,300+8.3%
59Carlisle County57,000+3.3%
60Boyle County56,900-2.9%
61Butler County56,700+3.8%
61Hickman County56,700+9.2%
63Muhlenberg County56,500+2%
64Nicholas County56,300+3.3%
65Robertson County56,100+2.4%
66Owen County55,400+1.3%
67Montgomery County55,000-2.5%
68Webster County54,400+3.4%
69Green County54,200+4.6%
70Todd County54,100+5.9%
71Fleming County53,900+0.6%
72Monroe County53,100+1.9%
73Carroll County52,800+2.7%
73Pulaski County52,800+4.1%
75Rockcastle County52,100+2.4%
76Ohio County52,000+2.8%
77Rowan County51,800-4.4%
78Lincoln County50,500+2.6%
79Johnson County50,200+0.8%
79Taylor County50,200+3.3%
81Laurel County49,900+2.5%
82Menifee County49,800-0.2%
82Powell County49,800-5.3%
82Whitley County49,800+6.9%
85Bath County49,500+10%
85Hart County49,500+2.5%
87Barren County49,200-1.8%
88Grayson County48,700+4.7%
89Adair County47,800+0.2%
90Lewis County47,500-1.5%
91Cumberland County47,100+3.1%
91Russell County47,100+2.4%
93Metcalfe County47,000+4.7%
94Fulton County46,400+7.7%
95Perry County45,600-0.2%
96Martin County45,400+5.3%
97Wayne County45,0000%
98Morgan County44,600+1.6%
99Pike County44,300+1.6%
100Carter County44,200-2.6%
101Lawrence County43,600-1.4%
102Casey County43,100-5.1%
102Jackson County43,100+5.9%
104Magoffin County41,900+3.2%
105Estill County41,700-1.4%
106Clinton County41,100+3.8%
107Owsley County40,900-1%
108Knott County40,700-0.5%
109Leslie County40,500+2.3%
110Floyd County40,400+0.5%
111Elliott County40,200+15.2%
112Lee County38,800+4.3%
113Letcher County38,500-3.5%
114Wolfe County38,200+8.5%
115Knox County37,500+7.8%
116Breathitt County35,200+4.5%
117Clay County35,100+3.2%
118Harlan County33,900-1.5%
119Bell County33,400+0.9%
120McCreary County33,000+22.2%

Other periods

About this ranking

Median annual family income, in US dollars, that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates for the HUD area that contains the county, for the fiscal year.

More on how it is measured
  • HUD bases it on American Community Survey family incomes, brought forward to the fiscal year, and uses it to set income limits for its programs: the very low income limit is 50 percent and the low income limit 80 percent of the area median for a family of four, with adjustments.
  • Often called AMI.

A program parameter, not a survey estimate for the county itself: it differs from the Census Bureau median household income and from the American Community Survey median family income of the county. HUD sets one value per HUD area, a metropolitan area (sometimes split into HUD Metro FMR Areas) or a non-metropolitan county, so every county of a metropolitan area shows the same figure. Counties in the six New England states have no value, because HUD defines their areas by town and a county can span several areas. Where HUD splits off part of a county, the county value is the rest of the county: Howard County, Maryland, without Columbia until FY2015, and Crawford County, Missouri, without its part of Sullivan. The year is HUD's federal fiscal year: FY2027 runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027.

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. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD USER. HUD Section 8 income limits by county: area median family income, dollars. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il21/Section8-FY21.xlsx. 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. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research. (2021). HUD Section 8 income limits by county: area median family income, dollars (Counties in Kentucky by area median family income (HUD), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il21/Section8-FY21.xlsx

MLA 9

HUD Section 8 income limits by county: area median family income, dollars, Counties in Kentucky by area median family income (HUD), 2021. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research, 24 Mar. 2021, https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il21/Section8-FY21.xlsx. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/hud-area-median-family-income/kentucky-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research. 2021. HUD Section 8 income limits by county: area median family income, dollars. Counties in Kentucky by area median family income (HUD), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il21/Section8-FY21.xlsx. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/hud-area-median-family-income/kentucky-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research (2021) HUD Section 8 income limits by county: area median family income, dollars, Counties in Kentucky by area median family income (HUD), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il21/Section8-FY21.xlsx, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/hud-area-median-family-income/kentucky-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{department_counties_in_kentucky_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research}},
  title = {{HUD Section 8 income limits by county: area median family income, dollars: Counties in Kentucky by area median family income (HUD), 2021}},
  year = {2021},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il21/Section8-FY21.xlsx},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/hud-area-median-family-income/kentucky-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD USER. HUD Section 8 income limits by county: area median family income, dollars. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il21/Section8-FY21.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research
TI  - HUD Section 8 income limits by county: area median family income, dollars: Counties in Kentucky by area median family income (HUD), 2021
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/03/24
PB  - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il21/Section8-FY21.xlsx
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/hud-area-median-family-income/kentucky-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/hud-area-median-family-income/kentucky-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD USER. HUD Section 8 income limits by county: area median family income, dollars. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il/il21/Section8-FY21.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Counties in Kentucky by area median family income (HUD) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest area median family income (HUD)?

Boone County, with $85,400 in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research.

Which county has the lowest area median family income (HUD)?

McCreary County, with $33,000 in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research, HUD Section 8 income limits by county: area median family income, dollars. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Area median family income (HUD): other rankings

Counties in Kentucky: more rankings