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

Counties in Kentucky by poverty rate

Martin County had the highest poverty rate of 120 counties in 2021, at 40.5%. Oldham County had the lowest, at 4.9%. The median was 17.4% and the figure for Kentucky was 16.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest40.5Martin County
Lowest4.9Oldham County
Median17.4120 counties
Kentucky16.3History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Martin CountyMartin County: 40.5 %40.5Clay CountyClay County: 35.9 %35.9Owsley CountyOwsley County: 35.6 %35.6Knox CountyKnox County: 35.1 %35.1Lee CountyLee County: 33.5 %33.5McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 33.5 %33.5Harlan CountyHarlan County: 33.2 %33.2Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 33.2 %33.2Bell CountyBell County: 32.1 %32.1Knott CountyKnott County: 32 %32Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 31 %31Pike CountyPike County: 30.1 %30.1Perry CountyPerry County: 29.9 %29.9Leslie CountyLeslie County: 29.8 %29.8Letcher CountyLetcher County: 29.1 %29.1Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 29 %29Floyd CountyFloyd County: 28 %28Menifee CountyMenifee County: 27.8 %27.8Whitley CountyWhitley County: 27.6 %27.6Russell CountyRussell County: 27 %27Elliott CountyElliott County: 26.6 %26.6Morgan CountyMorgan County: 26.3 %26.3Carter CountyCarter County: 25.6 %25.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 25.2 %25.2Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 24.8 %24.8Adair CountyAdair County: 24.2 %24.2Johnson CountyJohnson County: 24.2 %24.2Wayne CountyWayne County: 23.9 %23.9Fulton CountyFulton County: 23.4 %23.4Powell CountyPowell County: 22.8 %22.8Clinton CountyClinton County: 22.6 %22.6Estill CountyEstill County: 22.6 %22.6Lewis CountyLewis County: 22.6 %22.6Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 22.5 %22.5Monroe CountyMonroe County: 22 %22Rockcastle CountyRockcastle County: 21.3 %21.3Boyd CountyBoyd County: 21 %21Muhlenberg CountyMuhlenberg County: 20.9 %20.9Rowan CountyRowan County: 20.9 %20.9Casey CountyCasey County: 20.7 %20.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Martin County40.5+8.6 pts
2Clay County35.9-1.4 pts
3Owsley County35.6+5 pts
4Knox County35.1+7.3 pts
5Lee County33.5+1.4 pts
5McCreary County33.5-2.7 pts
7Harlan County33.2+5.2 pts
7Magoffin County33.2+2.3 pts
9Bell County32.1+2.3 pts
10Knott County32+4.3 pts
11Breathitt County31+3.1 pts
12Pike County30.1+6.4 pts
13Perry County29.9+7.9 pts
14Leslie County29.8+4 pts
15Letcher County29.1+4.7 pts
16Wolfe County29-0.7 pts
17Floyd County28-0.3 pts
18Menifee County27.8+5.1 pts
19Whitley County27.6+5.9 pts
20Russell County27+8.9 pts
21Elliott County26.6-2.2 pts
22Morgan County26.3+1.8 pts
23Carter County25.6+7.1 pts
24Jackson County25.2+1.2 pts
25Lawrence County24.8+2.5 pts
26Adair County24.2+2.1 pts
26Johnson County24.2+1.7 pts
28Wayne County23.9+0.3 pts
29Fulton County23.4-1.8 pts
30Powell County22.8+2.3 pts
31Clinton County22.6+1.1 pts
31Estill County22.6+2 pts
31Lewis County22.6+0.4 pts
34Cumberland County22.5+1.5 pts
35Monroe County22-0.5 pts
36Rockcastle County21.3-1.1 pts
37Boyd County21+5.2 pts
38Muhlenberg County20.9+4 pts
38Rowan County20.9-3.5 pts
40Casey County20.7-2 pts
41Bath County20.6-1.9 pts
42Hart County20.4-1.7 pts
43Green County19.5-0.6 pts
43Laurel County19.5+1.6 pts
45Barren County19.3+2 pts
45Lincoln County19.3+0.9 pts
45Metcalfe County19.3-2.1 pts
48Pulaski County19.10 pts
49Crittenden County18.9+2.1 pts
49Todd County18.9+1.6 pts
51Hickman County18.6-2.3 pts
51Hopkins County18.6+0.5 pts
53Robertson County18.5+0.6 pts
54Edmonson County18.4+2.6 pts
54Union County18.4+0.9 pts
56Butler County18.2+1.1 pts
56Grayson County18.2-2.3 pts
58Carroll County17.9+1.7 pts
59Taylor County17.6+1.7 pts
60Fleming County17.4+2.8 pts
60McCracken County17.4+1.9 pts
62Trigg County17.2+0.5 pts
63Allen County17.1+1.8 pts
63Mason County17.1+1.4 pts
65Breckinridge County16.9-0.2 pts
66Calloway County16.8+1.2 pts
67Christian County16.7-0.2 pts
68Logan County16.6+1.5 pts
68Madison County16.6+1.1 pts
70Nicholas County16.5-0.3 pts
71Montgomery County16.3+0.6 pts
71Ohio County16.3+1.3 pts
73Graves County16.2-2 pts
74Caldwell County16.1+0.8 pts
75Marion County15.8+0.1 pts
76Webster County15.7+0.1 pts
77Carlisle County15.6+1.2 pts
78Boyle County15.5+1.5 pts
78Larue County15.5+0.8 pts
80Owen County15.2+0.1 pts
81Bourbon County15.1+1 pts
82Bracken County14.8+1.6 pts
82Lyon County14.8+0.4 pts
82Meade County14.8+3.2 pts
82Pendleton County14.8+1.2 pts
82Warren County14.8-3.9 pts
87Gallatin County14.7+1.4 pts
88Fayette County14.60 pts
88Greenup County14.6+1.6 pts
90Jefferson County14.5+3.1 pts
91Ballard County14.4+0.2 pts
91Garrard County14.4+0.4 pts
91Livingston County14.4+0.4 pts
94Harrison County14.1+0.6 pts
95Henry County14-0.2 pts
96Jessamine County13.8+3.3 pts
97Marshall County13.7+3.4 pts
98Daviess County13.6+0.2 pts
98McLean County13.60 pts
98Simpson County13.6+1.6 pts
101Franklin County13.3+0.5 pts
101Trimble County13.3+1.1 pts
103Mercer County12.8-0.3 pts
103Washington County12.8-1.4 pts
105Grant County12.7-0.1 pts
106Hancock County12.6-1.8 pts
106Kenton County12.6+1.6 pts
108Henderson County12.4-1 pts
109Hardin County11.7+0.5 pts
110Clark County11.6-2.8 pts
111Bullitt County11.1+2.4 pts
111Campbell County11.1+0.5 pts
113Nelson County10.7+1.5 pts
114Scott County9.5+1.5 pts
115Shelby County9.4+1 pts
116Anderson County9-1 pts
117Woodford County8.6-0.5 pts
118Spencer County7.4+0.6 pts
119Boone County6.4-0.1 pts
120Oldham County4.9-0.1 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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.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?

Martin County, with 40.5% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Oldham County, with 4.9% in 2021.

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