Data / Rankings / Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) / Counties in Kentucky

Counties in Kentucky by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)

Wolfe County had the highest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) of 120 counties in 2021, at 68%. Edmonson County had the lowest, at 19.8%. The median was 42% and the figure for Kentucky was 43.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest68Wolfe County
Lowest19.8Edmonson County
Median42120 counties
Kentucky43.6History

Map of counties, 2021

Adair County: 38.1 %Allen County: 50.9 %Anderson County: 61.1 %Ballard County: 28.6 %Barren County: 49 %Bath County: 29.2 %Bell County: 54 %Boone County: 38.5 %Bourbon County: 43.9 %Boyd County: 41.3 %Boyle County: 45.4 %Bracken County: 30.3 %Breathitt County: 50.8 %Breckinridge County: 39.2 %Bullitt County: 39.8 %Butler County: 34.2 %Caldwell County: 47.9 %Calloway County: 43.9 %Campbell County: 50.1 %Carlisle County: 45.9 %Carroll County: 35.7 %Carter County: 50.3 %Casey County: 43 %Christian County: 50 %Clark County: 45.2 %Clay County: 50.5 %Clinton County: 34.9 %Crittenden County: 34.1 %Cumberland County: 40.2 %Daviess County: 40.7 %Edmonson County: 19.8 %Elliott County: 32.8 %Estill County: 40.1 %Fayette County: 48 %Fleming County: 33.7 %Floyd County: 49.3 %Franklin County: 36.4 %Fulton County: 55.4 %Gallatin County: 38.8 %Garrard County: 45.4 %Grant County: 42 %Graves County: 45.4 %Grayson County: 49.8 %Green County: 35.4 %Greenup County: 45.5 %Hancock County: 42.9 %Hardin County: 34.4 %Harlan County: 54.4 %Harrison County: 38.4 %Hart County: 38.9 %Henderson County: 43.1 %Henry County: 48.2 %Hickman County: 25 %Hopkins County: 43.1 %Jackson County: 45.8 %Jefferson County: 43.5 %Jessamine County: 41.5 %Johnson County: 45.6 %Kenton County: 41.9 %Knott County: 46.7 %Knox County: 43.7 %Larue County: 32.2 %Laurel County: 42 %Lawrence County: 59.7 %Lee County: 58.5 %Leslie County: 54 %Letcher County: 54.6 %Lewis County: 48.8 %Lincoln County: 38.6 %Livingston County: 63.2 %Logan County: 39.2 %Lyon County: 42.7 %McCracken County: 44.5 %McCreary County: 36.9 %McLean County: 41.9 %Madison County: 44.1 %Magoffin County: 53.2 %Marion County: 46.4 %Marshall County: 51.1 %Martin County: 56.8 %Mason County: 38.3 %Meade County: 32.3 %Menifee County: 29.6 %Mercer County: 41.2 %Metcalfe County: 38.1 %Monroe County: 51.4 %Montgomery County: 32 %Morgan County: 53.5 %Muhlenberg County: 39.9 %Nelson County: 41.3 %Nicholas County: 40.4 %Ohio County: 28.2 %Oldham County: 31.6 %Owen County: 30.3 %Owsley County: 30 %Pendleton County: 53.2 %Perry County: 50.5 %Pike County: 52.8 %Powell County: 64.4 %Pulaski County: 49.9 %Robertson County: 28.8 %Rockcastle County: 45 %Rowan County: 46.5 %Russell County: 37.8 %Scott County: 36.5 %Shelby County: 35.8 %Simpson County: 36.7 %Spencer County: 24.1 %Taylor County: 41.7 %Todd County: 34 %Trigg County: 37 %Trimble County: 23.2 %Union County: 32.8 %Warren County: 46.9 %Washington County: 34.6 %Wayne County: 31.1 %Webster County: 23.7 %Whitley County: 37.7 %Wolfe County: 68 %Woodford County: 43.3 %
  • Under 34
  • 34 to 38
  • 38 to 42
  • 42 to 45
  • 45 to 51
  • 51 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Wolfe County: 68 %Wolfe County68Powell County: 64.4 %Powell County64.4Livingston County: 63.2 %Livingston County63.2Anderson County: 61.1 %Anderson County61.1Lawrence County: 59.7 %Lawrence County59.7Lee County: 58.5 %Lee County58.5Martin County: 56.8 %Martin County56.8Fulton County: 55.4 %Fulton County55.4Letcher County: 54.6 %Letcher County54.6Harlan County: 54.4 %Harlan County54.4Leslie County: 54 %Leslie County54Bell County: 54 %Bell County54Morgan County: 53.5 %Morgan County53.5Magoffin County: 53.2 %Magoffin County53.2Pendleton County: 53.2 %Pendleton County53.2Pike County: 52.8 %Pike County52.8Monroe County: 51.4 %Monroe County51.4Marshall County: 51.1 %Marshall County51.1Allen County: 50.9 %Allen County50.9Breathitt County: 50.8 %Breathitt County50.8Perry County: 50.5 %Perry County50.5Clay County: 50.5 %Clay County50.5Carter County: 50.3 %Carter County50.3Campbell County: 50.1 %Campbell County50.1Christian County: 50 %Christian County50Pulaski County: 49.9 %Pulaski County49.9Grayson County: 49.8 %Grayson County49.8Floyd County: 49.3 %Floyd County49.3Barren County: 49 %Barren County49Lewis County: 48.8 %Lewis County48.8Henry County: 48.2 %Henry County48.2Fayette County: 48 %Fayette County48Caldwell County: 47.9 %Caldwell County47.9Warren County: 46.9 %Warren County46.9Knott County: 46.7 %Knott County46.7Rowan County: 46.5 %Rowan County46.5Marion County: 46.4 %Marion County46.4Carlisle County: 45.9 %Carlisle County45.9Jackson County: 45.8 %Jackson County45.8Johnson County: 45.6 %Johnson County45.6Wolfe County: 68 %Wolfe County68Powell County: 64.4 %Powell County64.4Livingston County: 63.2 %Livingston County63.2Anderson County: 61.1 %Anderson County61.1Lawrence County: 59.7 %Lawrence County59.7Lee County: 58.5 %Lee County58.5Martin County: 56.8 %Martin County56.8Fulton County: 55.4 %Fulton County55.4Letcher County: 54.6 %Letcher County54.6Harlan County: 54.4 %Harlan County54.4Leslie County: 54 %Leslie County54Bell County: 54 %Bell County54Morgan County: 53.5 %Morgan County53.5Magoffin County: 53.2 %Magoffin County53.2Pendleton County: 53.2 %Pendleton County53.2Pike County: 52.8 %Pike County52.8Monroe County: 51.4 %Monroe County51.4Marshall County: 51.1 %Marshall County51.1Allen County: 50.9 %Allen County50.9Breathitt County: 50.8 %Breathitt County50.8Perry County: 50.5 %Perry County50.5Clay County: 50.5 %Clay County50.5Carter County: 50.3 %Carter County50.3Campbell County: 50.1 %Campbell County50.1Christian County: 50 %Christian County50Pulaski County: 49.9 %Pulaski County49.9Grayson County: 49.8 %Grayson County49.8Floyd County: 49.3 %Floyd County49.3Barren County: 49 %Barren County49Lewis County: 48.8 %Lewis County48.8Henry County: 48.2 %Henry County48.2Fayette County: 48 %Fayette County48Caldwell County: 47.9 %Caldwell County47.9Warren County: 46.9 %Warren County46.9Knott County: 46.7 %Knott County46.7Rowan County: 46.5 %Rowan County46.5Marion County: 46.4 %Marion County46.4Carlisle County: 45.9 %Carlisle County45.9Jackson County: 45.8 %Jackson County45.8Johnson County: 45.6 %Johnson County45.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Wolfe County68
2Powell County64.4
3Livingston County63.2
4Anderson County61.1
5Lawrence County59.7
6Lee County58.5
7Martin County56.8
8Fulton County55.4
9Letcher County54.6
10Harlan County54.4
11Leslie County54
12Bell County54
13Morgan County53.5
14Magoffin County53.2
15Pendleton County53.2
16Pike County52.8
17Monroe County51.4
18Marshall County51.1
19Allen County50.9
20Breathitt County50.8
21Perry County50.5
22Clay County50.5
23Carter County50.3
24Campbell County50.1
25Christian County50
26Pulaski County49.9
27Grayson County49.8
28Floyd County49.3
29Barren County49
30Lewis County48.8
31Henry County48.2
32Fayette County48
33Caldwell County47.9
34Warren County46.9
35Knott County46.7
36Rowan County46.5
37Marion County46.4
38Carlisle County45.9
39Jackson County45.8
40Johnson County45.6
41Greenup County45.5
42Boyle County45.4
43Graves County45.4
44Garrard County45.4
45Clark County45.2
46Rockcastle County45
47McCracken County44.5
48Madison County44.1
49Calloway County43.9
50Bourbon County43.9
51Knox County43.7
52Jefferson County43.5
53Woodford County43.3
54Henderson County43.1
55Hopkins County43.1
56Casey County43
57Hancock County42.9
58Lyon County42.7
59Grant County42
60Laurel County42
61McLean County41.9
62Kenton County41.9
63Taylor County41.7
64Jessamine County41.5
65Nelson County41.3
66Boyd County41.3
67Mercer County41.2
68Daviess County40.7
69Nicholas County40.4
70Cumberland County40.2
71Estill County40.1
72Muhlenberg County39.9
73Bullitt County39.8
74Logan County39.2
75Breckinridge County39.2
76Hart County38.9
77Gallatin County38.8
78Lincoln County38.6
79Boone County38.5
80Harrison County38.4
81Mason County38.3
82Adair County38.1
83Metcalfe County38.1
84Russell County37.8
85Whitley County37.7
86Trigg County37
87McCreary County36.9
88Simpson County36.7
89Scott County36.5
90Franklin County36.4
91Shelby County35.8
92Carroll County35.7
93Green County35.4
94Clinton County34.9
95Washington County34.6
96Hardin County34.4
97Butler County34.2
98Crittenden County34.1
99Todd County34
100Fleming County33.7
101Union County32.8
102Elliott County32.8
103Meade County32.3
104Larue County32.2
105Montgomery County32
106Oldham County31.6
107Wayne County31.1
108Bracken County30.3
109Owen County30.3
110Owsley County30
111Menifee County29.6
112Bath County29.2
113Robertson County28.8
114Ballard County28.6
115Ohio County28.2
116Hickman County25
117Spencer County24.1
118Webster County23.7
119Trimble County23.2
120Edmonson County19.8

Other periods

About this ranking

Renter households whose gross rent (contract rent plus utilities and fuels the renter pays) was 30 percent or more of household income in the past 12 months, as a percentage of renter households for which that ratio can be computed. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Renters who pay no cash rent and households with no or negative income are left out of both the count and the base. 30 percent is the usual US threshold for rent burden. The EU housing cost overburden rate (housing_cost_overburden_rate) uses 40 percent of disposable income, all housing costs and people instead of households, so the two cannot be compared.

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. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.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 B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Kentucky by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Kentucky by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/kentucky-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Kentucky by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/kentucky-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Kentucky by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/kentucky-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_kentucky_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Kentucky by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/kentucky-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Kentucky by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/kentucky-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/kentucky-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.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 Counties in Kentucky by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"rent_burden_30_plus_share","level":"province","within":"Kentucky","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=rent_burden_30_plus_share&level=province&within=Kentucky&limit=10

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

Questions

Which county has the highest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)?

Wolfe County, with 68% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)?

Edmonson County, with 19.8% 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, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income): other rankings

Counties in Kentucky: more rankings