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 2023, at 48.1%. Oldham County had the lowest, at 5.8%. The median was 16.8% and the figure for Kentucky was 16.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest48.1Martin County
Lowest5.8Oldham County
Median16.8120 counties
Kentucky16.1History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Martin CountyMartin County: 48.1 %48.1Clay CountyClay County: 37.2 %37.2McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 35.9 %35.9Knox CountyKnox County: 35 %35Owsley CountyOwsley County: 33.1 %33.1Lee CountyLee County: 31.1 %31.1Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 30.3 %30.3Harlan CountyHarlan County: 29.7 %29.7Perry CountyPerry County: 29.7 %29.7Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 29.2 %29.2Bell CountyBell County: 28.9 %28.9Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 28.6 %28.6Whitley CountyWhitley County: 26.9 %26.9Leslie CountyLeslie County: 26.7 %26.7Floyd CountyFloyd County: 26.5 %26.5Knott CountyKnott County: 26.1 %26.1Fulton CountyFulton County: 25.9 %25.9Elliott CountyElliott County: 25.8 %25.8Menifee CountyMenifee County: 25.1 %25.1Johnson CountyJohnson County: 25 %25Wayne CountyWayne County: 25 %25Morgan CountyMorgan County: 24.7 %24.7Metcalfe CountyMetcalfe County: 24.2 %24.2Rowan CountyRowan County: 24 %24Jackson CountyJackson County: 23.9 %23.9Letcher CountyLetcher County: 23.8 %23.8Monroe CountyMonroe County: 23.7 %23.7Clinton CountyClinton County: 23.6 %23.6Pike CountyPike County: 23.4 %23.4Cumberland CountyCumberland County: 23.1 %23.1Estill CountyEstill County: 22.7 %22.7Russell CountyRussell County: 22.3 %22.3Adair CountyAdair County: 22.1 %22.1Lewis CountyLewis County: 22.1 %22.1Powell CountyPowell County: 22.1 %22.1Laurel CountyLaurel County: 21.8 %21.8Rockcastle CountyRockcastle County: 21.8 %21.8Casey CountyCasey County: 21.1 %21.1Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 20.6 %20.6Muhlenberg CountyMuhlenberg County: 20.2 %20.2
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Martin County48.1+11.9 pts
2Clay County37.2+2.1 pts
3McCreary County35.9+1.3 pts
4Knox County35+1.9 pts
5Owsley County33.1+0.2 pts
6Lee County31.1-5.3 pts
7Breathitt County30.3+0.2 pts
8Harlan County29.7+2.8 pts
8Perry County29.7+2.7 pts
10Magoffin County29.2-0.6 pts
11Bell County28.9-1.5 pts
12Wolfe County28.6-3.4 pts
13Whitley County26.9+0.6 pts
14Leslie County26.7-3.4 pts
15Floyd County26.5-8.3 pts
16Knott County26.1-3.1 pts
17Fulton County25.9-3.3 pts
18Elliott County25.8-1.4 pts
19Menifee County25.1+2 pts
20Johnson County25-1 pts
20Wayne County25-3.8 pts
22Morgan County24.7-0.5 pts
23Metcalfe County24.2-0.1 pts
24Rowan County24+2.6 pts
25Jackson County23.9-0.6 pts
26Letcher County23.8-4.9 pts
27Monroe County23.7+2.8 pts
28Clinton County23.6+0.1 pts
29Pike County23.4-1.7 pts
30Cumberland County23.1-0.8 pts
31Estill County22.7+1.4 pts
32Russell County22.3+2.1 pts
33Adair County22.10 pts
33Lewis County22.1-1 pts
33Powell County22.1-4.1 pts
36Laurel County21.8+1.4 pts
36Rockcastle County21.8-2.4 pts
38Casey County21.1-4.4 pts
39Lawrence County20.6-5.3 pts
40Muhlenberg County20.2-1.5 pts
41Robertson County19.6+0.3 pts
42Taylor County19.4+1.6 pts
43Carter County19.2-0.3 pts
44Lincoln County19.1+0.7 pts
45Hickman County18.7+2.6 pts
46Boyd County18.1-0.3 pts
46Fleming County18.1-3.2 pts
48Barren County18+1.2 pts
49Crittenden County17.9-1.7 pts
50Bath County17.8-2.8 pts
50Christian County17.8-0.5 pts
50Grayson County17.8+0.7 pts
53Hart County17.7-2.7 pts
54Calloway County17.6-1.6 pts
54Garrard County17.6+1.5 pts
54Graves County17.6-1.2 pts
54Green County17.6-2.3 pts
58Nicholas County17.2-0.5 pts
59Mason County17-3.1 pts
59Pulaski County17-1.8 pts
61Breckinridge County16.5-2.5 pts
62Allen County16.4+1.1 pts
63Todd County16.3-0.8 pts
64Carroll County16.2-0.1 pts
64Daviess County16.2+3.1 pts
64Jefferson County16.2+1 pts
67Larue County16.1-1.9 pts
68Edmonson County16-0.8 pts
68Hopkins County16-3.3 pts
68Ohio County16-1.3 pts
71Greenup County15.9-0.2 pts
71Lyon County15.9+1 pts
73Caldwell County15.8-1.6 pts
74Fayette County15.7+0.8 pts
74McCracken County15.7+0.5 pts
76Owen County15.4+0.8 pts
76Webster County15.4+0.7 pts
78Butler County15-3.7 pts
79Logan County14.8-0.6 pts
80Boyle County14.7-0.1 pts
80McLean County14.7+1 pts
82Henry County14.6+1.6 pts
82Marion County14.6-4 pts
82Montgomery County14.6-0.7 pts
85Union County14.5-2.7 pts
86Ballard County14.4-0.6 pts
87Bracken County14.3-0.9 pts
87Livingston County14.3-0.3 pts
89Bourbon County14.2-2.3 pts
89Hardin County14.2+1.6 pts
89Warren County14.2-4.2 pts
92Harrison County13.9-0.9 pts
93Madison County13.8-1.7 pts
93Marshall County13.8+1.2 pts
95Simpson County13.7-1.9 pts
96Trigg County13.6-0.2 pts
97Mercer County13.4+0.7 pts
98Henderson County13.2-4.2 pts
98Pendleton County13.2-1.2 pts
98Trimble County13.2+1.1 pts
101Gallatin County13.1-0.2 pts
101Washington County13.1-1.3 pts
103Grant County130 pts
104Carlisle County12.9-3.3 pts
104Nelson County12.9+1.7 pts
106Hancock County11.9-2.1 pts
107Franklin County11.8-2.3 pts
108Meade County11.7-0.2 pts
109Shelby County11.6+2.7 pts
110Clark County10.8-4.6 pts
111Kenton County10.6-0.2 pts
111Woodford County10.6+0.5 pts
113Campbell County10.3+0.8 pts
113Jessamine County10.3-2 pts
115Scott County10+1.7 pts
116Anderson County9-2.8 pts
117Bullitt County8.4-1 pts
118Boone County7.40 pts
119Spencer County7-1.3 pts
120Oldham County5.8+1.4 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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 48.1% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Oldham County, with 5.8% in 2023.

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