Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Kentucky

Counties in Kentucky by poverty rate, 2024

McCreary County had the highest poverty rate of 120 counties in 2024, at 36.4%. Oldham County had the lowest, at 6%. The median was 16.6% and the figure for Kentucky was 15.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest36.4McCreary County
Lowest6Oldham County
Median16.6120 counties
Kentucky15.4History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 36.4 %36.4Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 35.5 %35.5Owsley CountyOwsley County: 34.6 %34.6Martin CountyMartin County: 33.8 %33.8Clay CountyClay County: 33.6 %33.6Bell CountyBell County: 31.8 %31.8Leslie CountyLeslie County: 31.2 %31.2Knox CountyKnox County: 30.7 %30.7Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 30.1 %30.1Lee CountyLee County: 29.6 %29.6Harlan CountyHarlan County: 29.4 %29.4Wayne CountyWayne County: 28.8 %28.8Elliott CountyElliott County: 28.3 %28.3Floyd CountyFloyd County: 27.7 %27.7Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 26.1 %26.1Knott CountyKnott County: 25.9 %25.9Whitley CountyWhitley County: 25.5 %25.5Letcher CountyLetcher County: 25.3 %25.3Morgan CountyMorgan County: 25.3 %25.3Perry CountyPerry County: 24.5 %24.5Fulton CountyFulton County: 23.9 %23.9Menifee CountyMenifee County: 23.6 %23.6Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 23.4 %23.4Bath CountyBath County: 22.6 %22.6Grayson CountyGrayson County: 22.4 %22.4Pike CountyPike County: 22.4 %22.4Lewis CountyLewis County: 22.2 %22.2Jackson CountyJackson County: 22 %22Rockcastle CountyRockcastle County: 21.8 %21.8Clinton CountyClinton County: 21.4 %21.4Adair CountyAdair County: 21.2 %21.2Estill CountyEstill County: 21 %21Johnson CountyJohnson County: 20.9 %20.9Metcalfe CountyMetcalfe County: 20.9 %20.9Powell CountyPowell County: 20.8 %20.8Rowan CountyRowan County: 20.8 %20.8Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 20.1 %20.1Monroe CountyMonroe County: 20 %20Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 19.8 %19.8Hopkins CountyHopkins County: 19.3 %19.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1McCreary County36.4+0.5 pts
2Breathitt County35.5+5.2 pts
3Owsley County34.6+1.5 pts
4Martin County33.8-14.3 pts
5Clay County33.6-3.6 pts
6Bell County31.8+2.9 pts
7Leslie County31.2+4.5 pts
8Knox County30.7-4.3 pts
9Magoffin County30.1+0.9 pts
10Lee County29.6-1.5 pts
11Harlan County29.4-0.3 pts
12Wayne County28.8+3.8 pts
13Elliott County28.3+2.5 pts
14Floyd County27.7+1.2 pts
15Wolfe County26.1-2.5 pts
16Knott County25.9-0.2 pts
17Whitley County25.5-1.4 pts
18Letcher County25.3+1.5 pts
18Morgan County25.3+0.6 pts
20Perry County24.5-5.2 pts
21Fulton County23.9-2 pts
22Menifee County23.6-1.5 pts
23Lawrence County23.4+2.8 pts
24Bath County22.6+4.8 pts
25Grayson County22.4+4.6 pts
25Pike County22.4-1 pts
27Lewis County22.2+0.1 pts
28Jackson County22-1.9 pts
29Rockcastle County21.80 pts
30Clinton County21.4-2.2 pts
31Adair County21.2-0.9 pts
32Estill County21-1.7 pts
33Johnson County20.9-4.1 pts
33Metcalfe County20.9-3.3 pts
35Powell County20.8-1.3 pts
35Rowan County20.8-3.2 pts
37Pulaski County20.1+3.1 pts
38Monroe County20-3.7 pts
39Cumberland County19.8-3.3 pts
40Hopkins County19.3+3.3 pts
41Muhlenberg County19.1-1.1 pts
42Carter County18.9-0.3 pts
42Hickman County18.9+0.2 pts
44Casey County18.8-2.3 pts
44Russell County18.8-3.5 pts
46Breckinridge County18.3+1.8 pts
47Union County18.2+3.7 pts
48Boyd County18-0.1 pts
48Hart County18+0.3 pts
50Green County17.9+0.3 pts
51Laurel County17.8-4 pts
52Logan County17.7+2.9 pts
53Crittenden County17.5-0.4 pts
54Butler County17.4+2.4 pts
55Carroll County17.3+1.1 pts
55Christian County17.3-0.5 pts
55Lincoln County17.3-1.8 pts
55Robertson County17.3-2.3 pts
59Greenup County16.7+0.8 pts
60Graves County16.6-1 pts
60Todd County16.6+0.3 pts
62Fleming County16.5-1.6 pts
63Madison County16.4+2.6 pts
63Marion County16.4+1.8 pts
63Taylor County16.4-3 pts
66Nicholas County16.2-1 pts
67Webster County16.1+0.7 pts
68Caldwell County16+0.2 pts
69Ballard County15.9+1.5 pts
69Calloway County15.9-1.7 pts
71McLean County15.8+1.1 pts
72Barren County15.7-2.3 pts
72Henderson County15.7+2.5 pts
74Harrison County15.5+1.6 pts
74Montgomery County15.5+0.9 pts
76Lyon County15.3-0.6 pts
76Ohio County15.3-0.7 pts
76Warren County15.3+1.1 pts
79Mason County15.2-1.8 pts
80Henry County15.1+0.5 pts
81Edmonson County14.9-1.1 pts
82Boyle County14.8+0.1 pts
83Jefferson County14.6-1.6 pts
83Simpson County14.6+0.9 pts
85Allen County14.3-2.1 pts
85Garrard County14.3-3.3 pts
87Daviess County14.2-2 pts
88Clark County14.1+3.3 pts
88Larue County14.1-2 pts
88Washington County14.1+1 pts
91Bourbon County13.9-0.3 pts
91Carlisle County13.9+1 pts
91McCracken County13.9-1.8 pts
91Owen County13.9-1.5 pts
91Trigg County13.9+0.3 pts
96Bracken County13.8-0.5 pts
97Pendleton County13.7+0.5 pts
98Grant County13.5+0.5 pts
99Livingston County13-1.3 pts
100Fayette County12.7-3 pts
100Hardin County12.7-1.5 pts
102Gallatin County12.6-0.5 pts
102Jessamine County12.6+2.3 pts
104Hancock County12.5+0.6 pts
104Trimble County12.5-0.7 pts
106Franklin County12.3+0.5 pts
107Mercer County12.2-1.2 pts
108Nelson County11.7-1.2 pts
109Campbell County11.3+1 pts
110Marshall County10.7-3.1 pts
111Shelby County9.9-1.7 pts
112Kenton County9.8-0.8 pts
112Meade County9.8-1.9 pts
114Woodford County9.7-0.9 pts
115Anderson County9.5+0.5 pts
116Scott County8.8-1.2 pts
117Bullitt County8.5+0.1 pts
118Boone County7.5+0.1 pts
118Spencer County7.5+0.5 pts
120Oldham County6+0.2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

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

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_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 of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in Kentucky by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

McCreary County, with 36.4% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Oldham County, with 6% in 2024.

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 of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Kentucky: more rankings