Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Cities in Kentucky

Cities in Kentucky by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Somerset, KY had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 42 cities in 2023, at 28.7%. Mount Washington, KY had the lowest, at 4.6%. The median was 16.5% and the figure for Kentucky was 16.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest28.7Somerset, KY
Lowest4.6Mount Washington, KY
Median16.542 cities
Kentucky16.1History

All cities, 2023

Somerset, KY: 28.7 %Somerset, KY28.7Bowling Green, KY: 25.4 %Bowling Green, KY25.4Murray, KY: 24.9 %Murray, KY24.9Campbellsville, KY: 24.1 %Campbellsville, KY24.1Glasgow, KY: 23.1 %Glasgow, KY23.1Ashland, KY: 22.8 %Ashland, KY22.8Covington, KY: 21.8 %Covington, KY21.8Richmond, KY: 21.6 %Richmond, KY21.6Paducah, KY: 21.5 %Paducah, KY21.5Madisonville, KY: 20.9 %Madisonville, KY20.9Shepherdsville, KY: 20.6 %Shepherdsville, KY20.6Hopkinsville, KY: 20.1 %Hopkinsville, KY20.1Owensboro, KY: 19.9 %Owensboro, KY19.9Henderson, KY: 19.7 %Henderson, KY19.7Berea, KY: 19.5 %Berea, KY19.5Frankfort, KY: 18.7 %Frankfort, KY18.7Newport, KY: 17.7 %Newport, KY17.7Shively, KY: 17.6 %Shively, KY17.6Franklin, KY: 17.4 %Franklin, KY17.4Versailles, KY: 16.9 %Versailles, KY16.9Paris, KY: 16.8 %Paris, KY16.8Louisville, KY: 16.1 %Louisville, KY16.1Winchester, KY: 15.8 %Winchester, KY15.8Elizabethtown, KY: 15.7 %Elizabethtown, KY15.7Lexington, KY: 15.7 %Lexington, KY15.7Danville, KY: 15.1 %Danville, KY15.1Radcliff, KY: 13.3 %Radcliff, KY13.3Nicholasville, KY: 12.4 %Nicholasville, KY12.4Georgetown, KY: 12.2 %Georgetown, KY12.2Lawrenceburg, KY: 11.8 %Lawrenceburg, KY11.8Shelbyville, KY: 11.6 %Shelbyville, KY11.6Bardstown, KY: 11.1 %Bardstown, KY11.1Erlanger, KY: 11 %Erlanger, KY11Florence, KY: 9.7 %Florence, KY9.7Independence, KY: 8.5 %Independence, KY8.5La Grange, KY: 8.4 %La Grange, KY8.4St. Matthews, KY: 8 %St. Matthews, KY8Lyndon, KY: 7.9 %Lyndon, KY7.9Jeffersontown, KY: 6.8 %Jeffersontown, KY6.8Alexandria, KY: 6.4 %Alexandria, KY6.4Fort Thomas, KY: 4.9 %Fort Thomas, KY4.9Mount Washington, KY: 4.6 %Mount Washington, KY4.6Somerset, KY: 28.7 %Somerset, KY28.7Bowling Green, KY: 25.4 %Bowling Green, KY25.4Murray, KY: 24.9 %Murray, KY24.9Campbellsville, KY: 24.1 %Campbellsville, KY24.1Glasgow, KY: 23.1 %Glasgow, KY23.1Ashland, KY: 22.8 %Ashland, KY22.8Covington, KY: 21.8 %Covington, KY21.8Richmond, KY: 21.6 %Richmond, KY21.6Paducah, KY: 21.5 %Paducah, KY21.5Madisonville, KY: 20.9 %Madisonville, KY20.9Shepherdsville, KY: 20.6 %Shepherdsville, KY20.6Hopkinsville, KY: 20.1 %Hopkinsville, KY20.1Owensboro, KY: 19.9 %Owensboro, KY19.9Henderson, KY: 19.7 %Henderson, KY19.7Berea, KY: 19.5 %Berea, KY19.5Frankfort, KY: 18.7 %Frankfort, KY18.7Newport, KY: 17.7 %Newport, KY17.7Shively, KY: 17.6 %Shively, KY17.6Franklin, KY: 17.4 %Franklin, KY17.4Versailles, KY: 16.9 %Versailles, KY16.9Paris, KY: 16.8 %Paris, KY16.8Louisville, KY: 16.1 %Louisville, KY16.1Winchester, KY: 15.8 %Winchester, KY15.8Elizabethtown, KY: 15.7 %Elizabethtown, KY15.7Lexington, KY: 15.7 %Lexington, KY15.7Danville, KY: 15.1 %Danville, KY15.1Radcliff, KY: 13.3 %Radcliff, KY13.3Nicholasville, KY: 12.4 %Nicholasville, KY12.4Georgetown, KY: 12.2 %Georgetown, KY12.2Lawrenceburg, KY: 11.8 %Lawrenceburg, KY11.8Shelbyville, KY: 11.6 %Shelbyville, KY11.6Bardstown, KY: 11.1 %Bardstown, KY11.1Erlanger, KY: 11 %Erlanger, KY11Florence, KY: 9.7 %Florence, KY9.7Independence, KY: 8.5 %Independence, KY8.5La Grange, KY: 8.4 %La Grange, KY8.4St. Matthews, KY: 8 %St. Matthews, KY8Lyndon, KY: 7.9 %Lyndon, KY7.9Jeffersontown, KY: 6.8 %Jeffersontown, KY6.8Alexandria, KY: 6.4 %Alexandria, KY6.4Fort Thomas, KY: 4.9 %Fort Thomas, KY4.9Mount Washington, KY: 4.6 %Mount Washington, KY4.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Somerset, KY28.7-0.4 pts
2Bowling Green, KY25.4-1.2 pts
3Murray, KY24.9-0.4 pts
4Campbellsville, KY24.1+3.5 pts
5Glasgow, KY23.1+2.3 pts
6Ashland, KY22.8+1.8 pts
7Covington, KY21.8-1.5 pts
8Richmond, KY21.6-0.6 pts
9Paducah, KY21.5-0.8 pts
10Madisonville, KY20.9-0.1 pts
11Shepherdsville, KY20.6-3.8 pts
12Hopkinsville, KY20.1-0.2 pts
13Owensboro, KY19.9+1.4 pts
14Henderson, KY19.7-1.1 pts
15Berea, KY19.5+0.1 pts
16Frankfort, KY18.7+1.3 pts
17Newport, KY17.7-5.3 pts
18Shively, KY17.6-1.5 pts
19Franklin, KY17.4+0.6 pts
20Versailles, KY16.9+4 pts
21Paris, KY16.8-3.1 pts
22Louisville, KY16.1+0.5 pts
23Winchester, KY15.8-3.6 pts
24Elizabethtown, KY15.7+1.6 pts
25Lexington, KY15.7+0.8 pts
26Danville, KY15.1-1.9 pts
27Radcliff, KY13.3-3.4 pts
28Nicholasville, KY12.4-2 pts
29Georgetown, KY12.2+1 pts
30Lawrenceburg, KY11.8-2.8 pts
31Shelbyville, KY11.6+1.8 pts
32Bardstown, KY11.1-1.3 pts
33Erlanger, KY11+0.7 pts
34Florence, KY9.7+2 pts
35Independence, KY8.5+0.6 pts
36La Grange, KY8.4-2.2 pts
37St. Matthews, KY8+0.7 pts
38Lyndon, KY7.9-1.8 pts
39Jeffersontown, KY6.8-0.4 pts
40Alexandria, KY6.4+0.6 pts
41Fort Thomas, KY4.9-1.1 pts
42Mount Washington, KY4.6-1.8 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. 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 cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Kentucky by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Kentucky by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/kentucky-cities?period=2023. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Kentucky by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/kentucky-cities?period=2023.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Kentucky by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/kentucky-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_kentucky_by_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Kentucky by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/kentucky-cities?period=2023. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Kentucky by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/kentucky-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/kentucky-cities?period=2023.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Cities in Kentucky by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"poverty_rate_acs","level":"municipality","within":"Kentucky","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=poverty_rate_acs&level=municipality&within=Kentucky&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which city has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Somerset, KY, with 28.7% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Mount Washington, KY, with 4.6% 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, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Cities in Kentucky: more rankings