Letcher County, KY

County

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2023 Population

21,146

1.6% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

43.3

1.41% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

26.8%

7.75% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$40,501

5.29% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$70,500

6.82% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

6,974

0.215% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Letcher County, KY had a population of 21.1k people with a median age of 43.3 and a median household income of $40,501. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Letcher County, KY declined from 21,490 to 21,146, a −1.6% decrease and its median household income grew from $38,466 to $40,501, a 5.29% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Letcher County, KY are White (Non-Hispanic) (96.8%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (0.946%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (0.742%), White (Hispanic) (0.539%), and Other (Non-Hispanic) (0.288%).

None of the households in Letcher 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.

99.9% of the residents in Letcher County, KY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Letcher County, KY are Allure Beauty College (19 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2023, the median property value in Letcher County, KY was $70,500, and the homeownership rate was 72.6%.

Most people in Letcher County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28 minutes. The average car ownership in Letcher County, KY was 2 cars per household.

Letcher County, KY borders Harlan County, KY, Knott County, KY, Perry County, KY, Pike County, KY, and Wise County, VA.

United States Kentucky

Population & Diversity

Letcher County, KY is home to a population of 21.1k people, from which 99.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 0.44% of Letcher County, KY residents were born outside of the country (93 people).

In 2023, there were 102 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (20.5k people) in Letcher County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 200 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 157 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.9%

2023 Citizenship

99.9%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.9% of Letcher County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Letcher County, KY was 99.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Letcher County, KY

White (Non-Hispanic)
20.5k ± 110
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
200 ± 73
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
157 ± 57

0.752%

Hispanic Population

159 people

0.752% of the people in Letcher County, KY are hispanic (159 people).

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

Foreign-Born Population

0.44%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

93 people

0.428%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

92 people

As of 2023, 0.44% of Letcher County, KY residents (93 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Letcher County, KY was 0.428%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
448 ± 136
Gulf War (2001-)
122 ± 81
Gulf War (1990s)
122 ± 70

Letcher County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.67 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Letcher County, KY employs 6.97k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Letcher County, KY were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,481 people), Educational Services (1,148 people), and Retail Trade (1,037 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($84,208), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($83,333), and Transportation & Warehousing ($58,042).

Employment

Occupations

6.97k

2023 Value

± 650

−0.215%

1 Year decline

± 13.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Letcher County, KY declined at a rate of −0.215%, from 6.99k employees to 6.97k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Letcher County, KY, are Sales & Related Occupations (764 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (716 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (602 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Letcher 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

6.97k

2023 Value

± 650

−0.215%

1 Year decline

± 13.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Letcher County, KY declined at a rate of −0.215%, from 6.99k employees to 6.97k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Letcher County, KY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,481 people), Educational Services (1,148 people), and Retail Trade (1,037 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Letcher County, KY, though some of these residents may live in Letcher County, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$37,257

Median earning men ± $8,779

$32,344

Median earning women ± $6,798

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($80,893), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($58,916), and Wholesale Trade ($53,722).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Manufacturing ($120,078), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($48,304), and Public Administration ($44,821).

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

28
Health Care and Social Assistance
22
Retail Trade
17
Retail Trade

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

$54.1k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$18.2k
Retail Trade
$7.08k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction

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 Letcher 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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Kentucky

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Kentucky have changed over time starting in 2008.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Letcher County, KY awarded 19 degrees. The student population of Letcher County, KY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 0 male students and 25 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Letcher County, KY are White (19 and 100%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (0 and 0%), Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders (0 and 0%), and Unknown (0 and 0%).

The largest universities in Letcher County, KY by number of degrees awarded are Allure Beauty College (19 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Letcher County, KY are General Cosmetology (19 and 100%) and Cosmetology, Barber, & Nail Instructor (0 and 0%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 25 students enrolled in Letcher County, KY, 0% men and 100% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 25 records, of which 100% were women and 0% men.

Completions

Concentrations

General Cosmetology

Most Common

19 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Letcher County, KY was N/A with N/A degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Letcher County, KY according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Allure Beauty College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

19 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Allure Beauty College with 19 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 0 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Letcher County, KY, which is 0 times less than the 19 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 19 degrees mean that there were NaNy times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 0 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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2023, 0.875% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.806% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (1.17M), Some college (753k), and Secondary Education (541k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Letcher County, KY was $70,500 in 2023, which is 0.232 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $66,000 to $70,500, a 6.82% increase. The homeownership rate in Letcher County, KY is 72.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Letcher County, KY have an average commute time of 28 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Letcher County, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Letcher County, KY is $40,501. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Letcher County, KY was Census Tract 9504.01, Letcher County, KY with a value of $40,878, followed by Census Tract 9505, Letcher County, KY and Census Tract 9501, Letcher County, KY, with respective values of $33,750 and $33,152.

In 2024, 13.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Letcher County, KY. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator grew 1.73%.

Housing

Property

$70,500

Median Property Value 2023

±$6,458

$6,075

Median Property Taxes

±$561

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 Letcher County, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

72.6%

Homeownership

2023

64.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 72.6% of the housing units in Letcher County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 74%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9504.01, Letcher County, KY
Census Tract 9505, Letcher County, KY
Census Tract 9501, Letcher County, KY

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Letcher County, KY was Census Tract 9504.01, Letcher County, KY with a value of $40,878, followed by Census Tract 9505, Letcher County, KY and Census Tract 9501, Letcher County, KY, with respective values of $33,750 and $33,152.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Letcher County, KY colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$40,501

Median Household Income

± $4,196

8.37k

Number of Households

± 666

In 2023, the median household income of the 8.37k households in Letcher County, KY grew to $40,501 from the previous year's value of $38,466.

The following chart displays the households in Letcher 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 Letcher County, KY is from Letcher County, KY.

N/A Wage GINI in N/A

In N/A, the income inequality in N/A was N/A according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a N/A N/A from N/A to N/A, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat N/A even. The GINI for N/A was N/A than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed N/A evenly in N/A in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Letcher County, KY across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (73.9%)
Carpooled (13.9%)
Worked At Home (7.38%)

In 2023, 73.9% of workers in Letcher County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.9%) and those who worked at home (7.38%).

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

28 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Letcher County, KY have a longer commute time (28 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.74% of the workforce in Letcher County, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Letcher 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 Letcher County, KY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Letcher County, KY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 13.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Letcher County, KY. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator grew 1.73%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

26.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Letcher County, KY (5.54k out of 20.7k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 18 - 24.

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

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 2024, 35.2% of the children was living in poverty in Letcher County, KY. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator grew 1.8%.

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 54.1 in Letcher County, KY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 2.82 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

96.2% of the population of Letcher County, KY has health coverage, with 29% on employee plans, 40.1% on Medicaid, 17.4% on Medicare, 7.49% on non-group plans, and 2.2% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Letcher County, KY see 1,771 patients per year on average, which represents a 8.52% increase from the previous year (1,632 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2612 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1229 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,771 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Letcher County, KY

Primary care physicians in Letcher County, KY see an average of 1,771 patients per year. This represents a 8.52% increase from the previous year (1,632 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.2% under 18 years, 16.3% between 18 and 34 years, 40.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

3.76%

Uninsured

29%

Employer Coverage

40.1%

Medicaid

17.4%

Medicare

7.49%

Non-Group

2.2%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Letcher County, KY declined by 0.733% from 3.79% to 3.76%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 59.3 in Letcher County, KY.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, 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 41.6% in Letcher County, KY.

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