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

Counties in Kentucky by poverty rate

Owsley County had the highest poverty rate of 120 counties in 2018, at 39.2%. Oldham County had the lowest, at 5.6%. The median was 17.8% and the figure for Kentucky was 16.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest39.2Owsley County
Lowest5.6Oldham County
Median17.8120 counties
Kentucky16.7History

Top 40 counties, 2018

CSVChart (SVG)

Owsley CountyOwsley County: 39.2 %39.2Martin CountyMartin County: 39.1 %39.1Clay CountyClay County: 38.2 %38.2Lee CountyLee County: 34.4 %34.4Floyd CountyFloyd County: 34.2 %34.2McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 33.7 %33.7Harlan CountyHarlan County: 33.4 %33.4Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 32.5 %32.5Knott CountyKnott County: 32.1 %32.1Knox CountyKnox County: 31.9 %31.9Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 31.4 %31.4Bell CountyBell County: 31.3 %31.3Carter CountyCarter County: 31.1 %31.1Letcher CountyLetcher County: 31.1 %31.1Leslie CountyLeslie County: 30.8 %30.8Fulton CountyFulton County: 30.2 %30.2Perry CountyPerry County: 28.9 %28.9Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 28.4 %28.4Wayne CountyWayne County: 28.1 %28.1Morgan CountyMorgan County: 27.3 %27.3Jackson CountyJackson County: 26.5 %26.5Menifee CountyMenifee County: 26.4 %26.4Casey CountyCasey County: 26 %26Clinton CountyClinton County: 25.7 %25.7Whitley CountyWhitley County: 25.7 %25.7Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 25.5 %25.5Estill CountyEstill County: 25.3 %25.3Elliott CountyElliott County: 25.2 %25.2Lewis CountyLewis County: 25.2 %25.2Johnson CountyJohnson County: 25 %25Adair CountyAdair County: 23.8 %23.8Pike CountyPike County: 23.8 %23.8Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 23.3 %23.3Metcalfe CountyMetcalfe County: 23.3 %23.3Monroe CountyMonroe County: 23 %23Rockcastle CountyRockcastle County: 22.8 %22.8Rowan CountyRowan County: 22.7 %22.7Hart CountyHart County: 22.2 %22.2Powell CountyPowell County: 22 %22Russell CountyRussell County: 21.6 %21.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Owsley County39.2+2.4 pts
2Martin County39.1+3.3 pts
3Clay County38.2-3.5 pts
4Lee County34.4+0.7 pts
5Floyd County34.2+2 pts
6McCreary County33.7-0.7 pts
7Harlan County33.4-8.1 pts
8Breathitt County32.5-3.7 pts
9Knott County32.1-2.5 pts
10Knox County31.9-0.3 pts
11Wolfe County31.4+1.5 pts
12Bell County31.3-5.4 pts
13Carter County31.1+2.9 pts
13Letcher County31.1+0.3 pts
15Leslie County30.8-0.2 pts
16Fulton County30.2+1.2 pts
17Perry County28.9+3 pts
18Magoffin County28.4-3.7 pts
19Wayne County28.1+3.2 pts
20Morgan County27.3-2.8 pts
21Jackson County26.5-4.9 pts
22Menifee County26.4+1 pts
23Casey County26+0.9 pts
24Clinton County25.7-0.7 pts
24Whitley County25.7-0.8 pts
26Lawrence County25.5-7.3 pts
27Estill County25.3+0.5 pts
28Elliott County25.2-4.5 pts
28Lewis County25.2-0.4 pts
30Johnson County25+1.7 pts
31Adair County23.8+1.3 pts
31Pike County23.8-5 pts
33Cumberland County23.3+0.5 pts
33Metcalfe County23.3-0.1 pts
35Monroe County23-1.3 pts
36Rockcastle County22.8+1.5 pts
37Rowan County22.7-1 pts
38Hart County22.2+2.2 pts
39Powell County22-2.6 pts
40Russell County21.6-1.7 pts
41Grayson County21.4-1.1 pts
42Calloway County21.3+4.7 pts
43Laurel County20.6-3.7 pts
43Lincoln County20.6-0.4 pts
45Bath County20.4-2.6 pts
46Pulaski County19.5-4.2 pts
47Barren County19.2-2.9 pts
47Taylor County19.2+1 pts
49Robertson County19.1-2 pts
50Breckinridge County18.8+0.9 pts
51Fleming County18.6+1.2 pts
52Webster County18.4+3.7 pts
53Boyd County18.3-1.8 pts
54Christian County18.2-1.1 pts
54Mason County18.2+0.2 pts
56Hopkins County18.1-1.2 pts
57Caldwell County18+2 pts
57Green County18-0.5 pts
57Logan County18+0.1 pts
60Crittenden County17.8-0.3 pts
61Butler County17.7+0.6 pts
61Hickman County17.7-1.4 pts
63Edmonson County17.4+0.5 pts
63Muhlenberg County17.4-2 pts
65Allen County17.3-4.5 pts
66Carlisle County17.2+2.1 pts
66Ohio County17.2-0.4 pts
68Marion County17.1+2.3 pts
68Todd County17.1-0.9 pts
70Graves County16.9-0.6 pts
71Greenup County16.6+0.6 pts
72Bourbon County16.5-0.2 pts
72Madison County16.5-0.5 pts
72Trimble County16.5+3 pts
72Warren County16.5+0.4 pts
76Henderson County16.3+0.1 pts
76Union County16.3-1.5 pts
78Garrard County16.1-0.9 pts
79Clark County16+1.9 pts
80Owen County15.8+0.1 pts
81Carroll County15.6-5.2 pts
82Harrison County15.5+0.2 pts
82Nicholas County15.5-3.3 pts
82Pendleton County15.5+0.9 pts
85Jefferson County15.4+1.3 pts
86Ballard County15.3-0.7 pts
86Daviess County15.3-0.8 pts
86Larue County15.3+0.2 pts
86Montgomery County15.3-2.4 pts
90Gallatin County15.1+0.4 pts
91Boyle County14.8-0.7 pts
92McCracken County14.7-0.5 pts
93Fayette County14.6-1.9 pts
94Lyon County14.5+0.2 pts
95Henry County14.3-1 pts
96Grant County13.90 pts
96Livingston County13.9-1.5 pts
96McLean County13.9-2.5 pts
99Washington County13.8-1.4 pts
100Hardin County13.4+0.6 pts
101Campbell County13.1+2.2 pts
101Trigg County13.1-0.9 pts
103Franklin County12.9-0.8 pts
104Mercer County12.8-0.6 pts
105Jessamine County12.6-2.1 pts
106Simpson County12.5-1.9 pts
107Nelson County12.2+2.4 pts
108Marshall County12.10 pts
109Hancock County12-0.2 pts
110Meade County11.4+0.2 pts
111Bracken County11.3-4.3 pts
112Kenton County10.4-1.6 pts
113Anderson County10-0.4 pts
113Shelby County10-0.8 pts
115Bullitt County9.5+0.3 pts
116Woodford County9.4+0.1 pts
117Scott County8.3-2.1 pts
118Spencer County7.3-0.2 pts
119Boone County6.4-0.7 pts
120Oldham County5.6+0.5 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/2018/2018-state-and-county/est18all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Owsley County, with 39.2% in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Oldham County, with 5.6% in 2018.

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