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

Counties in Kentucky by poverty rate

Clay County had the highest poverty rate of 120 counties in 2017, at 41.7%. Oldham County had the lowest, at 5.1%. The median was 18% and the figure for Kentucky was 17.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest41.7Clay County
Lowest5.1Oldham County
Median18120 counties
Kentucky17.1History

Top 40 counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Clay CountyClay County: 41.7 %41.7Harlan CountyHarlan County: 41.5 %41.5Owsley CountyOwsley County: 36.8 %36.8Bell CountyBell County: 36.7 %36.7Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 36.2 %36.2Martin CountyMartin County: 35.8 %35.8Knott CountyKnott County: 34.6 %34.6McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 34.4 %34.4Lee CountyLee County: 33.7 %33.7Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 32.8 %32.8Floyd CountyFloyd County: 32.2 %32.2Knox CountyKnox County: 32.2 %32.2Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 32.1 %32.1Jackson CountyJackson County: 31.4 %31.4Leslie CountyLeslie County: 31 %31Letcher CountyLetcher County: 30.8 %30.8Morgan CountyMorgan County: 30.1 %30.1Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 29.9 %29.9Elliott CountyElliott County: 29.7 %29.7Fulton CountyFulton County: 29 %29Pike CountyPike County: 28.8 %28.8Carter CountyCarter County: 28.2 %28.2Whitley CountyWhitley County: 26.5 %26.5Clinton CountyClinton County: 26.4 %26.4Perry CountyPerry County: 25.9 %25.9Lewis CountyLewis County: 25.6 %25.6Menifee CountyMenifee County: 25.4 %25.4Casey CountyCasey County: 25.1 %25.1Wayne CountyWayne County: 24.9 %24.9Estill CountyEstill County: 24.8 %24.8Powell CountyPowell County: 24.6 %24.6Laurel CountyLaurel County: 24.3 %24.3Monroe CountyMonroe County: 24.3 %24.3Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 23.7 %23.7Rowan CountyRowan County: 23.7 %23.7Metcalfe CountyMetcalfe County: 23.4 %23.4Johnson CountyJohnson County: 23.3 %23.3Russell CountyRussell County: 23.3 %23.3Bath CountyBath County: 23 %23Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 22.8 %22.8
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Clay County41.7-0.4 pts
2Harlan County41.5+4.4 pts
3Owsley County36.8-8.4 pts
4Bell County36.7-2 pts
5Breathitt County36.2+1.9 pts
6Martin County35.8-3.5 pts
7Knott County34.6-3.6 pts
8McCreary County34.4-4.9 pts
9Lee County33.7-5.3 pts
10Lawrence County32.8+5.7 pts
11Floyd County32.2+1.8 pts
11Knox County32.2-7 pts
13Magoffin County32.1+0.2 pts
14Jackson County31.4-0.5 pts
15Leslie County31-0.8 pts
16Letcher County30.8-0.8 pts
17Morgan County30.1+2.9 pts
18Wolfe County29.9-2.3 pts
19Elliott County29.7-1 pts
20Fulton County29-1 pts
21Pike County28.8-2.6 pts
22Carter County28.2+5.6 pts
23Whitley County26.5-2.8 pts
24Clinton County26.4+1.1 pts
25Perry County25.9-5 pts
26Lewis County25.6-1.2 pts
27Menifee County25.4+1.3 pts
28Casey County25.1-2.7 pts
29Wayne County24.9-2 pts
30Estill County24.8-2.5 pts
31Powell County24.6-1.9 pts
32Laurel County24.3+1.1 pts
32Monroe County24.3+1.1 pts
34Pulaski County23.7+4.8 pts
34Rowan County23.7-1.7 pts
36Metcalfe County23.4+0.7 pts
37Johnson County23.3-2.6 pts
37Russell County23.3-1.7 pts
39Bath County23-1.9 pts
40Cumberland County22.8-2.5 pts
41Adair County22.5-3.6 pts
41Grayson County22.5+0.4 pts
43Barren County22.1+0.3 pts
44Allen County21.8+3.2 pts
45Rockcastle County21.3-2.9 pts
46Robertson County21.1-3.5 pts
47Lincoln County21-1.9 pts
48Carroll County20.80 pts
49Boyd County20.1+1.9 pts
50Hart County20-1.8 pts
51Muhlenberg County19.4-0.2 pts
52Christian County19.3-1.5 pts
52Hopkins County19.3+1 pts
54Hickman County19.1-1 pts
55Nicholas County18.8-1 pts
56Green County18.5-1.9 pts
57Taylor County18.2-3.1 pts
58Crittenden County18.1-0.5 pts
59Mason County18-1.4 pts
59Todd County18-2.4 pts
61Breckinridge County17.9+0.6 pts
61Logan County17.9+0.4 pts
63Union County17.8-0.8 pts
64Montgomery County17.7-0.2 pts
65Ohio County17.6-2.7 pts
66Graves County17.5-3.2 pts
67Fleming County17.4-3.8 pts
68Butler County17.1-0.7 pts
69Garrard County17+0.7 pts
69Madison County17-4.3 pts
71Edmonson County16.9-5.4 pts
72Bourbon County16.7-0.9 pts
73Calloway County16.6-4.6 pts
74Fayette County16.5-1.4 pts
75McLean County16.4-0.9 pts
76Henderson County16.2-0.9 pts
77Daviess County16.1-0.3 pts
77Warren County16.1-2.4 pts
79Ballard County16-0.2 pts
79Caldwell County16-4.4 pts
79Greenup County16-1.4 pts
82Owen County15.7-2.5 pts
83Bracken County15.6-1.1 pts
84Boyle County15.5-1.6 pts
85Livingston County15.4+0.9 pts
86Harrison County15.30 pts
86Henry County15.3-3.2 pts
88McCracken County15.2-3.5 pts
88Washington County15.2-0.5 pts
90Carlisle County15.1+0.6 pts
90Larue County15.1-1.8 pts
92Marion County14.8-5.3 pts
93Gallatin County14.7+0.2 pts
93Jessamine County14.7-1.2 pts
93Webster County14.7-3.2 pts
96Pendleton County14.6+0.2 pts
97Simpson County14.4-0.7 pts
98Lyon County14.3-2.1 pts
99Clark County14.1-1.8 pts
99Jefferson County14.1-0.8 pts
101Trigg County14-0.5 pts
102Grant County13.9-1.7 pts
103Franklin County13.70 pts
104Trimble County13.5-1.3 pts
105Mercer County13.4-1.1 pts
106Hardin County12.8-1 pts
107Hancock County12.2-0.4 pts
108Marshall County12.10 pts
109Kenton County12-0.6 pts
110Meade County11.2-2.2 pts
111Campbell County10.9-1.6 pts
112Shelby County10.8-0.7 pts
113Anderson County10.4-0.2 pts
113Scott County10.40 pts
115Nelson County9.8-1.8 pts
116Woodford County9.3-2.8 pts
117Bullitt County9.2-1.2 pts
118Spencer County7.5-1.3 pts
119Boone County7.1-0.5 pts
120Oldham County5.1-0.8 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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Clay County, with 41.7% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Oldham County, with 5.1% in 2017.

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