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

Counties in Kentucky by poverty rate

Lee County had the highest poverty rate of 120 counties in 2022, at 36.4%. Oldham County had the lowest, at 4.4%. The median was 17.9% and the figure for Kentucky was 16.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest36.4Lee County
Lowest4.4Oldham County
Median17.9120 counties
Kentucky16.3History

Top 40 counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

Lee CountyLee County: 36.4 %36.4Martin CountyMartin County: 36.2 %36.2Clay CountyClay County: 35.1 %35.1Floyd CountyFloyd County: 34.8 %34.8McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 34.6 %34.6Knox CountyKnox County: 33.1 %33.1Owsley CountyOwsley County: 32.9 %32.9Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 32 %32Bell CountyBell County: 30.4 %30.4Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 30.1 %30.1Leslie CountyLeslie County: 30.1 %30.1Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 29.8 %29.8Fulton CountyFulton County: 29.2 %29.2Knott CountyKnott County: 29.2 %29.2Wayne CountyWayne County: 28.8 %28.8Letcher CountyLetcher County: 28.7 %28.7Elliott CountyElliott County: 27.2 %27.2Perry CountyPerry County: 27 %27Harlan CountyHarlan County: 26.9 %26.9Whitley CountyWhitley County: 26.3 %26.3Powell CountyPowell County: 26.2 %26.2Johnson CountyJohnson County: 26 %26Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 25.9 %25.9Casey CountyCasey County: 25.5 %25.5Morgan CountyMorgan County: 25.2 %25.2Pike CountyPike County: 25.1 %25.1Jackson CountyJackson County: 24.5 %24.5Metcalfe CountyMetcalfe County: 24.3 %24.3Rockcastle CountyRockcastle County: 24.2 %24.2Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 23.9 %23.9Clinton CountyClinton County: 23.5 %23.5Lewis CountyLewis County: 23.1 %23.1Menifee CountyMenifee County: 23.1 %23.1Adair CountyAdair County: 22.1 %22.1Muhlenberg CountyMuhlenberg County: 21.7 %21.7Rowan CountyRowan County: 21.4 %21.4Estill CountyEstill County: 21.3 %21.3Fleming CountyFleming County: 21.3 %21.3Monroe CountyMonroe County: 20.9 %20.9Bath CountyBath County: 20.6 %20.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Lee County36.4+2.9 pts
2Martin County36.2-4.3 pts
3Clay County35.1-0.8 pts
4Floyd County34.8+6.8 pts
5McCreary County34.6+1.1 pts
6Knox County33.1-2 pts
7Owsley County32.9-2.7 pts
8Wolfe County32+3 pts
9Bell County30.4-1.7 pts
10Breathitt County30.1-0.9 pts
10Leslie County30.1+0.3 pts
12Magoffin County29.8-3.4 pts
13Fulton County29.2+5.8 pts
13Knott County29.2-2.8 pts
15Wayne County28.8+4.9 pts
16Letcher County28.7-0.4 pts
17Elliott County27.2+0.6 pts
18Perry County27-2.9 pts
19Harlan County26.9-6.3 pts
20Whitley County26.3-1.3 pts
21Powell County26.2+3.4 pts
22Johnson County26+1.8 pts
23Lawrence County25.9+1.1 pts
24Casey County25.5+4.8 pts
25Morgan County25.2-1.1 pts
26Pike County25.1-5 pts
27Jackson County24.5-0.7 pts
28Metcalfe County24.3+5 pts
29Rockcastle County24.2+2.9 pts
30Cumberland County23.9+1.4 pts
31Clinton County23.5+0.9 pts
32Lewis County23.1+0.5 pts
32Menifee County23.1-4.7 pts
34Adair County22.1-2.1 pts
35Muhlenberg County21.7+0.8 pts
36Rowan County21.4+0.5 pts
37Estill County21.3-1.3 pts
37Fleming County21.3+3.9 pts
39Monroe County20.9-1.1 pts
40Bath County20.60 pts
41Hart County20.40 pts
41Laurel County20.4+0.9 pts
43Russell County20.2-6.8 pts
44Mason County20.1+3 pts
45Green County19.9+0.4 pts
46Crittenden County19.6+0.7 pts
47Carter County19.5-6.1 pts
48Hopkins County19.3+0.7 pts
48Robertson County19.3+0.8 pts
50Calloway County19.2+2.4 pts
51Breckinridge County19+2.1 pts
52Graves County18.8+2.6 pts
52Pulaski County18.8-0.3 pts
54Butler County18.7+0.5 pts
55Marion County18.6+2.8 pts
56Boyd County18.4-2.6 pts
56Lincoln County18.4-0.9 pts
56Warren County18.4+3.6 pts
59Christian County18.3+1.6 pts
60Larue County18+2.5 pts
61Taylor County17.8+0.2 pts
62Nicholas County17.7+1.2 pts
63Caldwell County17.4+1.3 pts
63Henderson County17.4+5 pts
65Ohio County17.3+1 pts
66Union County17.2-1.2 pts
67Grayson County17.1-1.1 pts
67Todd County17.1-1.8 pts
69Barren County16.8-2.5 pts
69Edmonson County16.8-1.6 pts
71Bourbon County16.5+1.4 pts
72Carroll County16.3-1.6 pts
73Carlisle County16.2+0.6 pts
74Garrard County16.1+1.7 pts
74Greenup County16.1+1.5 pts
74Hickman County16.1-2.5 pts
77Simpson County15.6+2 pts
78Madison County15.5-1.1 pts
79Clark County15.4+3.8 pts
79Logan County15.4-1.2 pts
81Allen County15.3-1.8 pts
81Montgomery County15.3-1 pts
83Bracken County15.2+0.4 pts
83Jefferson County15.2+0.7 pts
83McCracken County15.2-2.2 pts
86Ballard County15+0.6 pts
87Fayette County14.9+0.3 pts
87Lyon County14.9+0.1 pts
89Boyle County14.8-0.7 pts
89Harrison County14.8+0.7 pts
91Webster County14.7-1 pts
92Livingston County14.6+0.2 pts
92Owen County14.6-0.6 pts
94Pendleton County14.4-0.4 pts
94Washington County14.4+1.6 pts
96Franklin County14.1+0.8 pts
97Hancock County14+1.4 pts
98Trigg County13.8-3.4 pts
99McLean County13.7+0.1 pts
100Gallatin County13.3-1.4 pts
101Daviess County13.1-0.5 pts
102Grant County13+0.3 pts
102Henry County13-1 pts
104Mercer County12.7-0.1 pts
105Hardin County12.6+0.9 pts
105Marshall County12.6-1.1 pts
107Jessamine County12.3-1.5 pts
108Trimble County12.1-1.2 pts
109Meade County11.9-2.9 pts
110Anderson County11.8+2.8 pts
111Nelson County11.2+0.5 pts
112Kenton County10.8-1.8 pts
113Woodford County10.1+1.5 pts
114Campbell County9.5-1.6 pts
115Bullitt County9.4-1.7 pts
116Shelby County8.9-0.5 pts
117Scott County8.3-1.2 pts
117Spencer County8.3+0.9 pts
119Boone County7.4+1 pts
120Oldham County4.4-0.5 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.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?

Lee County, with 36.4% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Oldham County, with 4.4% in 2022.

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