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 2019, at 35.5%. Oldham County had the lowest, at 4.9%. The median was 17.2% and the figure for Kentucky was 16%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest35.5Owsley County
Lowest4.9Oldham County
Median17.2120 counties
Kentucky16History

Top 40 counties, 2019

CSVChart (SVG)

Owsley CountyOwsley County: 35.5 %35.5Lee CountyLee County: 34.9 %34.9McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 34.5 %34.5Martin CountyMartin County: 34.4 %34.4Clay CountyClay County: 32.6 %32.6Leslie CountyLeslie County: 32.3 %32.3Knox CountyKnox County: 31.5 %31.5Harlan CountyHarlan County: 31.1 %31.1Knott CountyKnott County: 30.5 %30.5Bell CountyBell County: 30.3 %30.3Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 30.1 %30.1Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 29.4 %29.4Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 29.2 %29.2Letcher CountyLetcher County: 28.9 %28.9Jackson CountyJackson County: 27.8 %27.8Elliott CountyElliott County: 27.7 %27.7Floyd CountyFloyd County: 27.4 %27.4Morgan CountyMorgan County: 26.5 %26.5Menifee CountyMenifee County: 26.1 %26.1Johnson CountyJohnson County: 25.8 %25.8Fulton CountyFulton County: 25.6 %25.6Casey CountyCasey County: 25.2 %25.2Perry CountyPerry County: 24.2 %24.2Pike CountyPike County: 24 %24Wayne CountyWayne County: 23.8 %23.8Clinton CountyClinton County: 23.4 %23.4Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 23.4 %23.4Rowan CountyRowan County: 23.3 %23.3Lewis CountyLewis County: 23.2 %23.2Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 23 %23Estill CountyEstill County: 22.7 %22.7Metcalfe CountyMetcalfe County: 22.6 %22.6Russell CountyRussell County: 22.6 %22.6Whitley CountyWhitley County: 22.6 %22.6Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 22.5 %22.5Robertson CountyRobertson County: 22 %22Monroe CountyMonroe County: 21.7 %21.7Powell CountyPowell County: 21.5 %21.5Adair CountyAdair County: 21.4 %21.4Laurel CountyLaurel County: 21.4 %21.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Owsley County35.5-3.7 pts
2Lee County34.9+0.5 pts
3McCreary County34.5+0.8 pts
4Martin County34.4-4.7 pts
5Clay County32.6-5.6 pts
6Leslie County32.3+1.5 pts
7Knox County31.5-0.4 pts
8Harlan County31.1-2.3 pts
9Knott County30.5-1.6 pts
10Bell County30.3-1 pts
11Wolfe County30.1-1.3 pts
12Magoffin County29.4+1 pts
13Breathitt County29.2-3.3 pts
14Letcher County28.9-2.2 pts
15Jackson County27.8+1.3 pts
16Elliott County27.7+2.5 pts
17Floyd County27.4-6.8 pts
18Morgan County26.5-0.8 pts
19Menifee County26.1-0.3 pts
20Johnson County25.8+0.8 pts
21Fulton County25.6-4.6 pts
22Casey County25.2-0.8 pts
23Perry County24.2-4.7 pts
24Pike County24+0.2 pts
25Wayne County23.8-4.3 pts
26Clinton County23.4-2.3 pts
26Lawrence County23.4-2.1 pts
28Rowan County23.3+0.6 pts
29Lewis County23.2-2 pts
30Cumberland County23-0.3 pts
31Estill County22.7-2.6 pts
32Metcalfe County22.6-0.7 pts
32Russell County22.6+1 pts
32Whitley County22.6-3.1 pts
35Pulaski County22.5+3 pts
36Robertson County22+2.9 pts
37Monroe County21.7-1.3 pts
38Powell County21.5-0.5 pts
39Adair County21.4-2.4 pts
39Laurel County21.4+0.8 pts
41Fleming County21.1+2.5 pts
42Rockcastle County21-1.8 pts
43Boyd County20.6+2.3 pts
44Grayson County20.3-1.1 pts
45Barren County20.1+0.9 pts
45Hart County20.1-2.1 pts
47Carter County20-11.1 pts
48Lincoln County19.7-0.9 pts
49Bath County19.4-1 pts
50Crittenden County19.2+1.4 pts
51Christian County18.9+0.7 pts
52Muhlenberg County18.8+1.4 pts
53Green County18.6+0.6 pts
54Breckinridge County18.3-0.5 pts
55Hopkins County18.10 pts
56Butler County18+0.3 pts
57Graves County17.9+1 pts
58Madison County17.7+1.2 pts
59Nicholas County17.3+1.8 pts
59Union County17.3+1 pts
61Todd County17.10 pts
62Hickman County16.9-0.8 pts
63Allen County16.8-0.5 pts
63Marion County16.8-0.3 pts
65Calloway County16.5-4.8 pts
66Taylor County16.4-2.8 pts
67Henderson County16.30 pts
67Webster County16.3-2.1 pts
69Edmonson County16-1.4 pts
70Greenup County15.9-0.7 pts
71Caldwell County15.8-2.2 pts
71Montgomery County15.8+0.5 pts
73Garrard County15.7-0.4 pts
73Mason County15.7-2.5 pts
73Owen County15.7-0.1 pts
76Ohio County15.6-1.6 pts
77Ballard County15.5+0.2 pts
77Boyle County15.5+0.7 pts
77Carlisle County15.5-1.7 pts
77McCracken County15.5+0.8 pts
81Daviess County15.4+0.1 pts
81Fayette County15.4+0.8 pts
81Larue County15.4+0.1 pts
81Warren County15.4-1.1 pts
85Harrison County15.3-0.2 pts
85Logan County15.3-2.7 pts
87Carroll County15.2-0.4 pts
88Henry County14.7+0.4 pts
89Trigg County14.6+1.5 pts
90Lyon County14.50 pts
91Washington County14.4+0.6 pts
92Jefferson County14.2-1.2 pts
93Bourbon County14.1-2.4 pts
93Bracken County14.1+2.8 pts
95McLean County14+0.1 pts
96Mercer County13.8+1 pts
97Gallatin County13.3-1.8 pts
97Grant County13.3-0.6 pts
99Clark County13-3 pts
100Simpson County12.50 pts
101Pendleton County12.4-3.1 pts
102Hancock County12.2+0.2 pts
102Livingston County12.2-1.7 pts
104Trimble County11.9-4.6 pts
105Marshall County11.8-0.3 pts
106Franklin County11.5-1.4 pts
107Meade County11.40 pts
108Kenton County11.2+0.8 pts
109Jessamine County11-1.6 pts
110Campbell County10.9-2.2 pts
111Hardin County10.7-2.7 pts
112Nelson County10.5-1.7 pts
113Anderson County10.2+0.2 pts
114Shelby County9.4-0.6 pts
115Scott County8.6+0.3 pts
116Woodford County8.3-1.1 pts
117Bullitt County7.8-1.7 pts
118Spencer County7.30 pts
119Boone County7.1+0.7 pts
120Oldham County4.9-0.7 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/2019/2019-state-and-county/est19all.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?

Owsley County, with 35.5% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Oldham County, with 4.9% in 2019.

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