Whitley County, KY

County

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2024 Population

36,920

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

35.2

0.565% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

26.3%

5.14% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$44,615

6.94% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$131,800

9.29% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

13,839

1.94% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Whitley County, KY reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.5% of the residents in Whitley County, KY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Whitley County, KY are University of the Cumberlands (5,659 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Whitley County, KY was $131,800, and the homeownership rate was 66.8%.

Most people in Whitley County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Whitley County, KY was 2 cars per household.

Whitley County, KY borders Bell County, KY, Knox County, KY, Laurel County, KY, McCreary County, KY, Campbell County, TN, and Claiborne County, TN.

United States Kentucky London, KY

Population & Diversity

Whitley County, KY is home to a population of 36.9k people, from which 99.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.767% of Whitley County, KY residents were born outside of the country (283 people).

In 2024, there were 58.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (34.8k people) in Whitley County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 593 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 389 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.5%

2024 Citizenship

99.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.5% of Whitley County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Whitley County, KY was 99.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Whitley County, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Whitley County, KY

White (Non-Hispanic)
34.8k ± 167
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
593 ± 148
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
389 ± 112

2.1%

Hispanic Population

776 people

2.1% of the people in Whitley County, KY are hispanic (776 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Whitley County, KY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Kentucky.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
34,091 ± 4,516 people
Cuba
20,475 ± 3,505 people
India
12,629 ± 2,755 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kentucky was Mexico, the natal country of 34,091 Kentucky residents, followed by Cuba with 20,475 and India with 12,629.

Foreign-Born Population

0.767%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

283 people

0.71%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

261 people

As of 2024, 0.767% of Whitley County, KY residents (283 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Whitley County, KY was 0.71%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Whitley County, KY compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
472 ± 166
Gulf War (2001-)
227 ± 128
Gulf War (1990s)
218 ± 125

Whitley County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.08 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Whitley County, KY.

Economy

The economy of Whitley County, KY employs 13.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Whitley County, KY were Health Care & Social Assistance (2,098 people), Educational Services (1,906 people), and Retail Trade (1,617 people), and the highest paying industries were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($77,528), Information ($60,640), and Transportation & Warehousing ($58,846).

Employment

Occupations

13.8k

2024 Value

± 937

1.94%

1 Year growth

± 9.45%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Whitley County, KY grew at a rate of 1.94%, from 13.6k employees to 13.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Whitley County, KY, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,537 people), Management Occupations (1,178 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,165 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Whitley County, KY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kentucky (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

13.8k

2024 Value

± 937

1.94%

1 Year growth

± 9.45%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Whitley County, KY grew at a rate of 1.94%, from 13.6k employees to 13.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Whitley County, KY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,098 people), Educational Services (1,906 people), and Retail Trade (1,617 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Whitley County, KY, though some of these residents may live in Whitley County, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$40,132

Median earning men ± $4,421

$28,628

Median earning women ± $3,108

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($77,926), Public Administration ($61,667), and Information ($61,533).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($52,500), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($50,257), and Manufacturing ($40,707).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Y-Axis

2.51%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.98M people employed in Kentucky. This represents a 2.51% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Kentucky.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

56
Retail Trade
45
Health Care and Social Assistance
43
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$159k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$52.5k
Educational Services
$46.7k
Manufacturing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing the state of Kentucky. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Whitley County, KY. Showing the available data for Kentucky.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.5%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (33.9%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.808%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Kentucky for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Kentucky

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Mitch McConnell

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 1985

Rand Paul

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing Kentucky.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Kentucky over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Whitley County, KY awarded 5,659 degrees. The student population of Whitley County, KY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 8,988 male students and 11,339 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Whitley County, KY are Unknown (4,315 and 76.3%), White (1,079 and 19.1%), Asian (131 and 2.31%), and Black or African American (68 and 1.2%).

The largest universities in Whitley County, KY by number of degrees awarded are University of the Cumberlands (5,659 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Whitley County, KY are Information Technology (819 and 14.5%), Other Educational Administration & Supervision (470 and 8.31%), and General Business Administration & Management (467 and 8.25%).

The median tuition cost in Whitley County, KY for private four year colleges is $9,875.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Whitley County, KY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 71.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 21.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 20,327 (44.2% men and 55.8% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 20,327 students enrolled in Whitley County, KY, 44.2% men and 55.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 9,275 records, of which 68.7% were women and 31.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
443 degrees awarded
Other Educational Administration & Supervision
364 degrees awarded
Information Technology
758 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Whitley County, KY was General Business Administration & Management with 443 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Masters Degree from schools in Whitley County, KY according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

University of the Cumberlands

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

5,659 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of the Cumberlands with 5,659 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,464 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Whitley County, KY, which is 0.771 times less than the 3,195 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Unknown students. These 4,315 degrees mean that there were 4 times more degrees awarded to Unknown students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 1,079 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($9,875) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Whitley County, KY was $131,800 in 2024, which is 0.396 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $120,600 to $131,800, a 9.29% increase. The homeownership rate in Whitley County, KY is 66.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Whitley County, KY have an average commute time of 24.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Whitley County, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Whitley County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.692%.

Housing

Property

$131,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,572

$9,043

Median Property Taxes

±$678

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Whitley County, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Whitley County, KY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

66.8%

Homeownership

2024

62.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 66.8% of the housing units in Whitley County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Whitley County, KY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$44,615

Median Household Income

± $4,358

13.5k

Number of Households

± 918

In 2024, the median household income of the 13.5k households in Whitley County, KY grew to $44,615 from the previous year's value of $41,719.

The following chart displays the households in Whitley County, KY distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Whitley County, KY is from Kentucky.

0.449

2023 Wage GINI in Kentucky

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2023, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.449 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.729% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kentucky in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Kentucky across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (72.5%)
Carpooled (14.3%)
Worked At Home (9.94%)

In 2024, 72.5% of workers in Whitley County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14.3%) and those who worked at home (9.94%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

24.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Whitley County, KY have a shorter commute time (24.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.94% of the workforce in Whitley County, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Whitley County, KY compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Whitley County, KY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Whitley County, KY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Whitley County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.692%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

26.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Whitley County, KY (9.25k out of 35.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Males 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Whitley County, KY is White, followed by Two Or More and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 33.3% of the children was living in poverty in Whitley County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 97.2 in Whitley County, KY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 0.323 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

93.8% of the population of Whitley County, KY has health coverage, with 32.7% on employee plans, 37.7% on Medicaid, 12% on Medicare, 9.66% on non-group plans, and 1.76% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Whitley County, KY see 1,154 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,154 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1317 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 55 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,154 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Whitley County, KY

Primary care physicians in Whitley County, KY see an average of 1,154 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,154 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Whitley County, KY in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 28% under 18 years, 22.3% between 18 and 34 years, 34.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.2%

Uninsured

32.7%

Employer Coverage

37.7%

Medicaid

12%

Medicare

9.66%

Non-Group

1.76%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Whitley County, KY declined by 19.1% from 7.67% to 6.2%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Whitley County, KY changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 61.3 in Whitley County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Whitley County, KY.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 41.4% in Whitley County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Whitley County, KY.