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 2020, at 37.3%. Oldham County had the lowest, at 5%. The median was 16.8% and the figure for Kentucky was 14.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest37.3Clay County
Lowest5Oldham County
Median16.8120 counties
Kentucky14.9History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Clay CountyClay County: 37.3 %37.3McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 36.2 %36.2Lee CountyLee County: 32.1 %32.1Martin CountyMartin County: 31.9 %31.9Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 30.9 %30.9Owsley CountyOwsley County: 30.6 %30.6Bell CountyBell County: 29.8 %29.8Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 29.7 %29.7Elliott CountyElliott County: 28.8 %28.8Floyd CountyFloyd County: 28.3 %28.3Harlan CountyHarlan County: 28 %28Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 27.9 %27.9Knox CountyKnox County: 27.8 %27.8Knott CountyKnott County: 27.7 %27.7Leslie CountyLeslie County: 25.8 %25.8Fulton CountyFulton County: 25.2 %25.2Morgan CountyMorgan County: 24.5 %24.5Letcher CountyLetcher County: 24.4 %24.4Rowan CountyRowan County: 24.4 %24.4Jackson CountyJackson County: 24 %24Pike CountyPike County: 23.7 %23.7Wayne CountyWayne County: 23.6 %23.6Casey CountyCasey County: 22.7 %22.7Menifee CountyMenifee County: 22.7 %22.7Bath CountyBath County: 22.5 %22.5Johnson CountyJohnson County: 22.5 %22.5Monroe CountyMonroe County: 22.5 %22.5Rockcastle CountyRockcastle County: 22.4 %22.4Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 22.3 %22.3Lewis CountyLewis County: 22.2 %22.2Adair CountyAdair County: 22.1 %22.1Hart CountyHart County: 22.1 %22.1Perry CountyPerry County: 22 %22Whitley CountyWhitley County: 21.7 %21.7Clinton CountyClinton County: 21.5 %21.5Metcalfe CountyMetcalfe County: 21.4 %21.4Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 21 %21Hickman CountyHickman County: 20.9 %20.9Estill CountyEstill County: 20.6 %20.6Grayson CountyGrayson County: 20.5 %20.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Clay County37.3+4.7 pts
2McCreary County36.2+1.7 pts
3Lee County32.1-2.8 pts
4Martin County31.9-2.5 pts
5Magoffin County30.9+1.5 pts
6Owsley County30.6-4.9 pts
7Bell County29.8-0.5 pts
8Wolfe County29.7-0.4 pts
9Elliott County28.8+1.1 pts
10Floyd County28.3+0.9 pts
11Harlan County28-3.1 pts
12Breathitt County27.9-1.3 pts
13Knox County27.8-3.7 pts
14Knott County27.7-2.8 pts
15Leslie County25.8-6.5 pts
16Fulton County25.2-0.4 pts
17Morgan County24.5-2 pts
18Letcher County24.4-4.5 pts
18Rowan County24.4+1.1 pts
20Jackson County24-3.8 pts
21Pike County23.7-0.3 pts
22Wayne County23.6-0.2 pts
23Casey County22.7-2.5 pts
23Menifee County22.7-3.4 pts
25Bath County22.5+3.1 pts
25Johnson County22.5-3.3 pts
25Monroe County22.5+0.8 pts
28Rockcastle County22.4+1.4 pts
29Lawrence County22.3-1.1 pts
30Lewis County22.2-1 pts
31Adair County22.1+0.7 pts
31Hart County22.1+2 pts
33Perry County22-2.2 pts
34Whitley County21.7-0.9 pts
35Clinton County21.5-1.9 pts
36Metcalfe County21.4-1.2 pts
37Cumberland County21-2 pts
38Hickman County20.9+4 pts
39Estill County20.6-2.1 pts
40Grayson County20.5+0.2 pts
40Powell County20.5-1 pts
42Green County20.1+1.5 pts
43Pulaski County19.1-3.4 pts
44Warren County18.7+3.3 pts
45Carter County18.5-1.5 pts
46Lincoln County18.4-1.3 pts
47Graves County18.2+0.3 pts
48Hopkins County18.10 pts
48Russell County18.1-4.5 pts
50Laurel County17.9-3.5 pts
50Robertson County17.9-4.1 pts
52Union County17.5+0.2 pts
53Barren County17.3-2.8 pts
53Todd County17.3+0.2 pts
55Breckinridge County17.1-1.2 pts
55Butler County17.1-0.9 pts
57Christian County16.9-2 pts
57Muhlenberg County16.9-1.9 pts
59Crittenden County16.8-2.4 pts
59Nicholas County16.8-0.5 pts
61Trigg County16.7+2.1 pts
62Carroll County16.2+1 pts
63Taylor County15.9-0.5 pts
64Boyd County15.8-4.8 pts
64Edmonson County15.8-0.2 pts
66Marion County15.7-1.1 pts
66Mason County15.70 pts
66Montgomery County15.7-0.1 pts
69Calloway County15.6-0.9 pts
69Webster County15.6-0.7 pts
71Madison County15.5-2.2 pts
71McCracken County15.50 pts
73Allen County15.3-1.5 pts
73Caldwell County15.3-0.5 pts
75Logan County15.1-0.2 pts
75Owen County15.1-0.6 pts
77Ohio County15-0.6 pts
78Larue County14.7-0.7 pts
79Fayette County14.6-0.8 pts
79Fleming County14.6-6.5 pts
81Carlisle County14.4-1.1 pts
81Clark County14.4+1.4 pts
81Hancock County14.4+2.2 pts
81Lyon County14.4-0.1 pts
85Ballard County14.2-1.3 pts
85Henry County14.2-0.5 pts
85Washington County14.2-0.2 pts
88Bourbon County14.10 pts
89Boyle County14-1.5 pts
89Garrard County14-1.7 pts
89Livingston County14+1.8 pts
92McLean County13.6-0.4 pts
92Pendleton County13.6+1.2 pts
94Harrison County13.5-1.8 pts
95Daviess County13.4-2 pts
95Henderson County13.4-2.9 pts
97Gallatin County13.30 pts
98Bracken County13.2-0.9 pts
99Mercer County13.1-0.7 pts
100Greenup County13-2.9 pts
101Franklin County12.8+1.3 pts
101Grant County12.8-0.5 pts
103Trimble County12.2+0.3 pts
104Simpson County12-0.5 pts
105Meade County11.6+0.2 pts
106Jefferson County11.4-2.8 pts
107Hardin County11.2+0.5 pts
108Kenton County11-0.2 pts
109Campbell County10.6-0.3 pts
110Jessamine County10.5-0.5 pts
111Marshall County10.3-1.5 pts
112Anderson County10-0.2 pts
113Nelson County9.2-1.3 pts
114Woodford County9.1+0.8 pts
115Bullitt County8.7+0.9 pts
116Shelby County8.4-1 pts
117Scott County8-0.6 pts
118Spencer County6.8-0.5 pts
119Boone County6.5-0.6 pts
120Oldham County5+0.1 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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?

Clay County, with 37.3% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Oldham County, with 5% in 2020.

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