Data / Rankings / Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in Kentucky

Counties in Kentucky by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Kenton County had the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 120 counties in 2023, at 69%. Elliott County had the lowest, at 32.9%. The median was 54.9% and the figure for Kentucky was 59.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest69Kenton County
Lowest32.9Elliott County
Median54.9120 counties
Kentucky59.7History

Map of counties, 2023

Adair County: 53.1 %Allen County: 58.7 %Anderson County: 59.6 %Ballard County: 55.2 %Barren County: 54.8 %Bath County: 52 %Bell County: 41.1 %Boone County: 68.7 %Bourbon County: 58.5 %Boyd County: 52.8 %Boyle County: 55.5 %Bracken County: 58.9 %Breathitt County: 46 %Breckinridge County: 52.6 %Bullitt County: 65.1 %Butler County: 51.4 %Caldwell County: 56.3 %Calloway County: 57.8 %Campbell County: 65.9 %Carlisle County: 56.1 %Carroll County: 56.3 %Carter County: 47.9 %Casey County: 47.6 %Christian County: 60.4 %Clark County: 60.2 %Clay County: 43.3 %Clinton County: 55 %Crittenden County: 50.9 %Cumberland County: 46 %Daviess County: 62 %Edmonson County: 50.5 %Elliott County: 32.9 %Estill County: 47.4 %Fayette County: 67.9 %Fleming County: 53.7 %Floyd County: 44 %Franklin County: 61.7 %Fulton County: 45 %Gallatin County: 59.9 %Garrard County: 56.1 %Grant County: 62.9 %Graves County: 55.8 %Grayson County: 54.8 %Green County: 52.4 %Greenup County: 49.7 %Hancock County: 58.3 %Hardin County: 63 %Harlan County: 40.2 %Harrison County: 57.9 %Hart County: 54 %Henderson County: 56.7 %Henry County: 57.2 %Hickman County: 51.4 %Hopkins County: 54.6 %Jackson County: 43.5 %Jefferson County: 65.7 %Jessamine County: 62.8 %Johnson County: 46.2 %Kenton County: 69 %Knott County: 42 %Knox County: 40.8 %Larue County: 56.9 %Laurel County: 54.5 %Lawrence County: 44.3 %Lee County: 41.4 %Leslie County: 44.9 %Letcher County: 43.2 %Lewis County: 45 %Lincoln County: 53.5 %Livingston County: 55.2 %Logan County: 57.2 %Lyon County: 40.8 %McCracken County: 57.6 %McCreary County: 36.8 %McLean County: 55.9 %Madison County: 63.1 %Magoffin County: 37.7 %Marion County: 55.3 %Marshall County: 55.2 %Martin County: 33 %Mason County: 56 %Meade County: 61.6 %Menifee County: 47.1 %Mercer County: 57.7 %Metcalfe County: 54.4 %Monroe County: 57.6 %Montgomery County: 57.6 %Morgan County: 39.7 %Muhlenberg County: 51.5 %Nelson County: 61.9 %Nicholas County: 53.8 %Ohio County: 54.2 %Oldham County: 64.6 %Owen County: 59 %Owsley County: 41.2 %Pendleton County: 60.5 %Perry County: 47.9 %Pike County: 43.3 %Powell County: 52.2 %Pulaski County: 53.4 %Robertson County: 45.8 %Rockcastle County: 48.6 %Rowan County: 57.4 %Russell County: 53.2 %Scott County: 67.7 %Shelby County: 64.6 %Simpson County: 60 %Spencer County: 64.1 %Taylor County: 62.6 %Todd County: 56.2 %Trigg County: 51.3 %Trimble County: 57.6 %Union County: 52.1 %Warren County: 66.8 %Washington County: 60.8 %Wayne County: 47 %Webster County: 56 %Whitley County: 51.1 %Wolfe County: 34.5 %Woodford County: 66.1 %
  • Under 45
  • 45 to 51
  • 51 to 55
  • 55 to 57
  • 57 to 62
  • 62 and over
%, 2023. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2023

Kenton County: 69 %Kenton County69Boone County: 68.7 %Boone County68.7Fayette County: 67.9 %Fayette County67.9Scott County: 67.7 %Scott County67.7Warren County: 66.8 %Warren County66.8Woodford County: 66.1 %Woodford County66.1Campbell County: 65.9 %Campbell County65.9Jefferson County: 65.7 %Jefferson County65.7Bullitt County: 65.1 %Bullitt County65.1Oldham County: 64.6 %Oldham County64.6Shelby County: 64.6 %Shelby County64.6Spencer County: 64.1 %Spencer County64.1Madison County: 63.1 %Madison County63.1Hardin County: 63 %Hardin County63Grant County: 62.9 %Grant County62.9Jessamine County: 62.8 %Jessamine County62.8Taylor County: 62.6 %Taylor County62.6Daviess County: 62 %Daviess County62Nelson County: 61.9 %Nelson County61.9Franklin County: 61.7 %Franklin County61.7Meade County: 61.6 %Meade County61.6Washington County: 60.8 %Washington County60.8Pendleton County: 60.5 %Pendleton County60.5Christian County: 60.4 %Christian County60.4Clark County: 60.2 %Clark County60.2Simpson County: 60 %Simpson County60Gallatin County: 59.9 %Gallatin County59.9Anderson County: 59.6 %Anderson County59.6Owen County: 59 %Owen County59Bracken County: 58.9 %Bracken County58.9Allen County: 58.7 %Allen County58.7Bourbon County: 58.5 %Bourbon County58.5Hancock County: 58.3 %Hancock County58.3Harrison County: 57.9 %Harrison County57.9Calloway County: 57.8 %Calloway County57.8Mercer County: 57.7 %Mercer County57.7McCracken County: 57.6 %McCracken County57.6Montgomery County: 57.6 %Montgomery County57.6Trimble County: 57.6 %Trimble County57.6Monroe County: 57.6 %Monroe County57.6Kenton County: 69 %Kenton County69Boone County: 68.7 %Boone County68.7Fayette County: 67.9 %Fayette County67.9Scott County: 67.7 %Scott County67.7Warren County: 66.8 %Warren County66.8Woodford County: 66.1 %Woodford County66.1Campbell County: 65.9 %Campbell County65.9Jefferson County: 65.7 %Jefferson County65.7Bullitt County: 65.1 %Bullitt County65.1Oldham County: 64.6 %Oldham County64.6Shelby County: 64.6 %Shelby County64.6Spencer County: 64.1 %Spencer County64.1Madison County: 63.1 %Madison County63.1Hardin County: 63 %Hardin County63Grant County: 62.9 %Grant County62.9Jessamine County: 62.8 %Jessamine County62.8Taylor County: 62.6 %Taylor County62.6Daviess County: 62 %Daviess County62Nelson County: 61.9 %Nelson County61.9Franklin County: 61.7 %Franklin County61.7Meade County: 61.6 %Meade County61.6Washington County: 60.8 %Washington County60.8Pendleton County: 60.5 %Pendleton County60.5Christian County: 60.4 %Christian County60.4Clark County: 60.2 %Clark County60.2Simpson County: 60 %Simpson County60Gallatin County: 59.9 %Gallatin County59.9Anderson County: 59.6 %Anderson County59.6Owen County: 59 %Owen County59Bracken County: 58.9 %Bracken County58.9Allen County: 58.7 %Allen County58.7Bourbon County: 58.5 %Bourbon County58.5Hancock County: 58.3 %Hancock County58.3Harrison County: 57.9 %Harrison County57.9Calloway County: 57.8 %Calloway County57.8Mercer County: 57.7 %Mercer County57.7McCracken County: 57.6 %McCracken County57.6Montgomery County: 57.6 %Montgomery County57.6Trimble County: 57.6 %Trimble County57.6Monroe County: 57.6 %Monroe County57.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Kenton County69-0.3 pts
2Boone County68.7-0.5 pts
3Fayette County67.9-0 pts
4Scott County67.7-1.1 pts
5Warren County66.8-0.1 pts
6Woodford County66.1+1 pts
7Campbell County65.9+0.8 pts
8Jefferson County65.7-0.2 pts
9Bullitt County65.1+1 pts
10Oldham County64.6-0 pts
11Shelby County64.6-0.4 pts
12Spencer County64.1-3.5 pts
13Madison County63.1-0.2 pts
14Hardin County63+0.3 pts
15Grant County62.9+2.3 pts
16Jessamine County62.8+0.5 pts
17Taylor County62.6+0.6 pts
18Daviess County62+0.3 pts
19Nelson County61.9-0.6 pts
20Franklin County61.7-0.2 pts
21Meade County61.6+0.8 pts
22Washington County60.8+0.2 pts
23Pendleton County60.50 pts
24Christian County60.4+0.5 pts
25Clark County60.2+0.2 pts
26Simpson County60+0.3 pts
27Gallatin County59.9+1.1 pts
28Anderson County59.6-1 pts
29Owen County59+1.8 pts
30Bracken County58.9-0.3 pts
31Allen County58.7+0.1 pts
32Bourbon County58.5-1.1 pts
33Hancock County58.3+0.2 pts
34Harrison County57.9+0.2 pts
35Calloway County57.8-0.2 pts
36Mercer County57.7+0.1 pts
37McCracken County57.6+0.6 pts
38Montgomery County57.6+2.3 pts
39Trimble County57.6+0.2 pts
40Monroe County57.6-0.2 pts
41Rowan County57.4+1.4 pts
42Henry County57.2-0.2 pts
43Logan County57.2-0.1 pts
44Larue County56.9+1 pts
45Henderson County56.7-0.1 pts
46Caldwell County56.3-0.1 pts
47Carroll County56.3-2 pts
48Todd County56.2+0.3 pts
49Garrard County56.1+1.2 pts
50Carlisle County56.1+5.8 pts
51Mason County56-0.4 pts
52Webster County56+0.8 pts
53McLean County55.9+0.6 pts
54Graves County55.8+0.5 pts
55Boyle County55.5+1.5 pts
56Marion County55.3+1.8 pts
57Ballard County55.2+1.9 pts
58Livingston County55.2+0.2 pts
59Marshall County55.20 pts
60Clinton County55+2.5 pts
61Barren County54.8-0.7 pts
62Grayson County54.8+1.4 pts
63Hopkins County54.6+0.4 pts
64Laurel County54.5+0.6 pts
65Metcalfe County54.4-1.3 pts
66Ohio County54.2-1.1 pts
67Hart County54-0.2 pts
68Nicholas County53.8+1.7 pts
69Fleming County53.7-1.8 pts
70Lincoln County53.5-1.6 pts
71Pulaski County53.4-1.2 pts
72Russell County53.2-1.6 pts
73Adair County53.1-0.9 pts
74Boyd County52.8+0.3 pts
75Breckinridge County52.6+0.9 pts
76Green County52.4+2.5 pts
77Powell County52.2+1.1 pts
78Union County52.1-0.4 pts
79Bath County52+1 pts
80Muhlenberg County51.5-1 pts
81Hickman County51.4+0.2 pts
82Butler County51.4+1.3 pts
83Trigg County51.3-1.5 pts
84Whitley County51.1+0.6 pts
85Crittenden County50.9+0.8 pts
86Edmonson County50.5+0.7 pts
87Greenup County49.7-0.4 pts
88Rockcastle County48.6-0.8 pts
89Carter County47.9+2.5 pts
90Perry County47.9-1 pts
91Casey County47.6-0.5 pts
92Estill County47.4+1.3 pts
93Menifee County47.1+4.1 pts
94Wayne County47+1.9 pts
95Johnson County46.2+1.6 pts
96Cumberland County46-5.3 pts
97Breathitt County46+0.9 pts
98Robertson County45.8-6.6 pts
99Lewis County45+2.4 pts
100Fulton County45+0.4 pts
101Leslie County44.9+1.1 pts
102Lawrence County44.3+6.3 pts
103Floyd County44+1.9 pts
104Jackson County43.5-0.5 pts
105Pike County43.3-0.1 pts
106Clay County43.3+1.6 pts
107Letcher County43.2-0.4 pts
108Knott County42+2 pts
109Lee County41.4-0.2 pts
110Owsley County41.2+4 pts
111Bell County41.1+0.2 pts
112Lyon County40.8-1.6 pts
113Knox County40.8-1.9 pts
114Harlan County40.2+0.6 pts
115Morgan County39.7+0.8 pts
116Magoffin County37.7+0.9 pts
117McCreary County36.8-1.3 pts
118Wolfe County34.5-2.2 pts
119Martin County33-1.7 pts
120Elliott County32.9+0.3 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 16 and over in the labor force (employed, unemployed or in the Armed Forces) as a percentage of all people aged 16 and over, including people in group quarters. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The Census Bureau definition used in its data profiles. It differs from the BLS labor_force_participation_rate, which counts the civilian noninstitutional population only.

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. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. 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). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Kentucky by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Kentucky by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/kentucky-counties?period=2023. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Kentucky by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/kentucky-counties?period=2023.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Kentucky by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/kentucky-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_kentucky_by_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Kentucky by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/kentucky-counties?period=2023. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Kentucky by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/kentucky-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/kentucky-counties?period=2023.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Kenton County, with 69% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Elliott County, with 32.9% in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in Kentucky: more rankings