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KY

Kentucky

Population 4,534,824
6 Sources Updated September 10, 2026
4.5M
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$63,726
Median Income
$80,734 national
$295.4B
GDP (current $), change real
4.8%
Unemployment
4.0% national
Community Data / United States / Kentucky

County Map

Click a county to view its economic profile

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$63,726
Per Capita
$35,821
Mean Household
$87,807
Poverty Rate
16.1%

Age & Race / Ethnicity

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 17.3% (784,676 residents) 55-64: 13% (590,324 residents) 35-54: 24.9% (1,128,629 residents) 18-34: 22.2% (1,006,219 residents) Under 18: 22.6% (1,024,976 residents) 39 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 22.6%
18-34 · 22.2%
35-54 · 24.9%
55-64 · 13%
65+ · 17.3%
Race & Ethnicity
White82.6%
Black or African American7.6%
Two or More Races6.2%
Some Other Race1.7%
Asian1.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander0.1%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)5%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
88.9%
High School+
National: 89.6%
0.7 pts
27.6%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
8.1 pts
11.3%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
2.8 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
4,534,824
Population
2,152,038
Labor Force
Employed
2,047,296
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
4.8%
2025 is not shown for Kentucky: a state annual average needs all 12 months and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has published 11. County pages draw on the separate annual series and may show 2025.
Mean Commute 2 min below national avg
24.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
10.2%
Labor Force and Employed are ACS 5-Year survey estimates; the Unemployment Rate above comes from BLS LAUS, a separate monthly survey with its own methodology. The two won't reconcile by subtracting one from the other.
Kentucky's median household income sits 21% below the national median. At 16.1%, its poverty rate runs 3.6 pts above the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 27.6% trails the national average of 35.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
  • Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, affecting retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base statewide.
  • Elevated poverty: At 16.1%, the rate supports federal funding narratives across distressed counties (CDFI, NMTC, EDA).
  • Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 8.1 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$295.4B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP2 Regional GDP
90.159
Cost of Living - Below Avg

Top Private-Sector Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual · Private sector only, with government shown below
IndustryEmployment% of Top SectorsAvg Wage
1Health Care and Social Assistance		 290,738 19.3%
$65,232
2Manufacturing		 252,133 16.7%
$78,482
3Retail Trade		 210,093 13.9%
$38,139
4Accommodation and Food Services		 178,951 11.9%
$24,414
5Transportation and Warehousing		 125,426 8.3%
$70,130
6Administrative and Support and Waste Management		 114,826 7.6%
$47,827
7Construction		 92,866 6.2%
$74,265
8Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services		 88,049 5.8%
$88,677
9Wholesale Trade		 81,586 5.4%
$85,966
10Finance and Insurance		 72,245 4.8%
$97,885
Government employment · context only
296,648

Public-sector jobs are not in the table above and are not part of any share or location quotient on this page. Both are measured on the private economy only, 1,693,812 private jobs in 2025: every location quotient divides by that total, and the % of Top Sectors column divides by the sectors listed above. Private employment is the standard basis for measuring industry concentration because government employment mostly serves the resident population rather than an outside market. Nothing on this card is expected to add up with the government figure.

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Key Takeaways
  • Largest private-sector industry: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 290,738 workers (19.3% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $65,232. Every industry figure on this page is private sector; government employs a further 296,648 and is counted separately.
  • Economic scale: State GDP of $295.4B (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Finance and Insurance averages $97,885 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $24,414, a 4.0x spread in the same economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP (CAGDP2).

Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Chart source: BLS QCEW · broad NAICS supersector · private sector · Location Quotient vs. national private-sector employment share. The same supersector axes appear on every profile, so the shape can be compared across geographies.
Concentrated Industries
List source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · private sector · Location Quotient vs. national private-sector employment share.
Same source and same private-sector basis as the Top Industries table above. These sit at a finer level than the chart's supersector axes, so the two sets of values are not directly comparable. The sub-sector view surfaces specialization the supersector view masks, such as Water Transportation here.
Water Transportation
3.61x
3,149
Primary Metal Manufacturing
2.96x
13,639
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
2.88x
63,604
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
2.87x
11,962
Couriers and Messengers
2.71x
38,682
Electrical Equipment, Appliance Manufacturing
2.33x
12,819
Paper Manufacturing
2.22x
9,934
Mining (except Oil and Gas)
2.14x
5,113
Wood Product Manufacturing
1.81x
9,267
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
1.81x
16,129
+ 1 more sub-sector at LQ ≥ 1.5, holding a further 38,281 jobs. See the spider chart for the broader picture.

Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries

LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, screened against industrial power cost. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector
0.14x
Web Search Portals, Libraries, and Archives
321 employed
0.23x
Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets
63 employed
0.24x
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing
3,068 employed
0.27x
Oil and Gas Extraction
395 employed
0.36x
Crop Production
2,433 employed
0.36x
Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
2,559 employed
0.38x
Textile Mills
389 employed
0.38x
Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing
115 employed
Screened on industrial power cost only. Industrial electricity in Kentucky costs 6.96¢/kWh against 8.62¢/kWh nationally (2025). Land area and freight access are not assessed at state level. Source: EIA.
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Water Transportation concentrates at 3.61x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy.
  • Cluster depth: 11 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
  • Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Industry Employment Composition
Kentucky's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of the top private supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$205,600
Median Home Value vs 2019
$967
Rent/Mo
68.3%
Owner-Occ
10.3%
Vacancy
3.2x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)

Renter-household-weighted average across 120 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026 · Affordability threshold and renter cost burden from Census ACS B25119, B25070
Studio
$829/mo$597 to $1,090
1 Bedroom
$919/mo$660 to $1,094
2 Bedroom
$1,125/mo$866 to $1,353
3 Bedroom
$1,467/mo$1,038 to $1,871
4 Bedroom
$1,685/mo$1,147 to $2,258
30% of monthly median renter household income (~$996/mo, from a renter median of $39,858) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Measured: 40.4% of renter households already pay 30% or more of income on rent, and 20.2% pay 50% or more.
Key Takeaways
  • In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.2x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
  • Elevated vacancy: 10.3% vacancy rate; potential redevelopment opportunity.
  • Affordable rent tiers: 2 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom sizes sit below what a household on the median renter income of $39,858 can pay without cost burden (~$996/mo), and 40.4% of renter households are measured as cost-burdened.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
2,725,172
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Labor force participation rate: 61.7% of population aged 18+ 62% Participation (18+)
vs 2019
Mean Commute 2 min below national avg
24.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
10.2%

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
27.6%
HS Diploma+
88.9%
6 Largest Institutions by Credentials Awarded
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
University of Kentucky 8,890/yr
University of the Cumberlands 6,956/yr
University of Louisville 5,751/yr
Bluegrass Community and Technical College 5,011/yr
Western Kentucky University 4,485/yr
Jefferson Community and Technical College 4,096/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
21.7%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Same cohort is 13% of total population, the basis used in the Demographics cohort chart.
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
37.6%
Service
15.3%
Sales & Office
20%
Construction / Maint.
8.7%
Production / Transport
18.4%
Bars are drawn on a 0% to 40% axis, so bar length is proportional to actual share. Labels give each group's share of 2,047,296 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Healthy participation: 61.7% of the population aged 18+ is in the labor force, reflecting a steady, available workforce statewide.
Source: ACS workforce data.

County Profiles

120 counties in Kentucky

Adair County FIPS 21001 Allen County FIPS 21003 Anderson County FIPS 21005 Ballard County FIPS 21007 Barren County FIPS 21009 Bath County FIPS 21011 Bell County FIPS 21013 Boone County FIPS 21015 Bourbon County FIPS 21017 Boyd County FIPS 21019 Boyle County FIPS 21021 Bracken County FIPS 21023 Breathitt County FIPS 21025 Breckinridge County FIPS 21027 Bullitt County FIPS 21029 Butler County FIPS 21031 Caldwell County FIPS 21033 Calloway County FIPS 21035 Campbell County FIPS 21037 Carlisle County FIPS 21039 Carroll County FIPS 21041 Carter County FIPS 21043 Casey County FIPS 21045 Christian County FIPS 21047 Clark County FIPS 21049 Clay County FIPS 21051 Clinton County FIPS 21053 Crittenden County FIPS 21055 Cumberland County FIPS 21057 Daviess County FIPS 21059 Edmonson County FIPS 21061 Elliott County FIPS 21063 Estill County FIPS 21065 Fayette County FIPS 21067 Fleming County FIPS 21069 Floyd County FIPS 21071 Franklin County FIPS 21073 Fulton County FIPS 21075 Gallatin County FIPS 21077 Garrard County FIPS 21079 Grant County FIPS 21081 Graves County FIPS 21083 Grayson County FIPS 21085 Green County FIPS 21087 Greenup County FIPS 21089 Hancock County FIPS 21091 Hardin County FIPS 21093 Harlan County FIPS 21095 Harrison County FIPS 21097 Hart County FIPS 21099 Henderson County FIPS 21101 Henry County FIPS 21103 Hickman County FIPS 21105 Hopkins County FIPS 21107 Jackson County FIPS 21109 Jefferson County FIPS 21111 Jessamine County FIPS 21113 Johnson County FIPS 21115 Kenton County FIPS 21117 Knott County FIPS 21119 Knox County FIPS 21121 Larue County FIPS 21123 Laurel County FIPS 21125 Lawrence County FIPS 21127 Lee County FIPS 21129 Leslie County FIPS 21131 Letcher County FIPS 21133 Lewis County FIPS 21135 Lincoln County FIPS 21137 Livingston County FIPS 21139 Logan County FIPS 21141 Lyon County FIPS 21143 Madison County FIPS 21151 Magoffin County FIPS 21153 Marion County FIPS 21155 Marshall County FIPS 21157 Martin County FIPS 21159 Mason County FIPS 21161 McCracken County FIPS 21145 McCreary County FIPS 21147 McLean County FIPS 21149 Meade County FIPS 21163 Menifee County FIPS 21165 Mercer County FIPS 21167 Metcalfe County FIPS 21169 Monroe County FIPS 21171 Montgomery County FIPS 21173 Morgan County FIPS 21175 Muhlenberg County FIPS 21177 Nelson County FIPS 21179 Nicholas County FIPS 21181 Ohio County FIPS 21183 Oldham County FIPS 21185 Owen County FIPS 21187 Owsley County FIPS 21189 Pendleton County FIPS 21191 Perry County FIPS 21193 Pike County FIPS 21195 Powell County FIPS 21197 Pulaski County FIPS 21199 Robertson County FIPS 21201 Rockcastle County FIPS 21203 Rowan County FIPS 21205 Russell County FIPS 21207 Scott County FIPS 21209 Shelby County FIPS 21211 Simpson County FIPS 21213 Spencer County FIPS 21215 Taylor County FIPS 21217 Todd County FIPS 21219 Trigg County FIPS 21221 Trimble County FIPS 21223 Union County FIPS 21225 Warren County FIPS 21227 Washington County FIPS 21229 Wayne County FIPS 21231 Webster County FIPS 21233 Whitley County FIPS 21235 Wolfe County FIPS 21237 Woodford County FIPS 21239

AI Insights

Sample output. Pulse AI analysis draws on 6 federal data sources.

Sample AI Insight

Kentucky shows meaningful potential for water transportation attraction, with a 3.61x concentration and 3,149 jobs in this sub-sector.

Cluster depth across water transportation, primary metal manufacturing, and transportation equipment manufacturing creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
USAspending.govFY2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Kentucky, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Kentucky?

4,534,824 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Kentucky?

$63,726 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Kentucky?

4.8% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Kentucky?

$295.4B (BEA CAGDP2 (Regional)).