Letcher County, KY

County

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2021 Population

21,784

0.693% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2021 Median Age

42.5

0.235% 1-year decrease

2021 Poverty Rate

31.2%

5.23% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$35,278

6.32% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$61,300

12.1% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Letcher County, KY had a population of 21.8k people with a median age of 42.5 and a median household income of $35,278. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Letcher County, KY declined from 21,936 to 21,784, a −0.693% decrease and its median household income grew from $33,181 to $35,278, a 6.32% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Letcher County, KY are White (Non-Hispanic) (97%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (1.1%), White (Hispanic) (0.477%), Two+ (Hispanic) (0.445%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (0.413%).

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 (12 degrees awarded in 2021).

In 2021, the median property value in Letcher County, KY was $61,300, and the homeownership rate was 74.9%.

Most people in Letcher County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28.3 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 21.8k people, from which 99.9% are citizens. As of 2021, 0.528% of Letcher County, KY residents were born outside of the country (115 people).

In 2021, there were 88.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (21.1k people) in Letcher County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 239 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 104 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

99.9%

2021 Citizenship

99.8%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 99.9% of Letcher County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Letcher County, KY was 99.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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)
21.1k ± 84
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
239 ± 100
White (Hispanic)
104 ± 90

0.923%

Hispanic Population

201 people

0.923% of the people in Letcher County, KY are hispanic (201 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Letcher County, KY as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

0.528%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

115 people

0.584%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

128 people

As of 2021, 0.528% of Letcher County, KY residents (115 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Letcher County, KY was 0.584%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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
370 ± 106
Gulf War (1990s)
104 ± 68
Gulf War (2001-)
96 ± 83

Letcher County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.56 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Letcher County, KY employs 6.8k people. The largest industries in Letcher County, KY are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,441 people), Retail Trade (997 people), and Educational Services (913 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($66,339), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($65,960), and Manufacturing ($49,375).

Employment

Occupations

6.8k

2021 Value

± 655

−6.93%

1 Year decline

± 14.3%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Letcher County, KY declined at a rate of −6.93%, from 7.3k employees to 6.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Letcher County, KY, are Sales & Related Occupations (825 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (819 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (510 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 false.

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

6.8k

2021 Value

± 655

−6.93%

1 Year decline

± 14.3%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Letcher County, KY declined at a rate of −6.93%, from 7.3k employees to 6.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Letcher County, KY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,441 people), Retail Trade (997 people), and Educational Services (913 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

$39,809

Median earning men ± $6,774

$25,691

Median earning women ± $5,033

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($66,071), Manufacturing ($60,486), and Information ($57,583).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Public Administration ($36,406), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($30,246), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($21,915).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Kentucky. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

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

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

188
Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
97
Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
74
Retail Trade

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

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Kentucky to other states, or from other states to Kentucky.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Kentucky product (by dollars) was Motorized vehicles with $57.5B, followed by Electronics ($36.5B) and Machinery ($28.4B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Kentucky products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Kentucky.

$330B

2020 Value in Kentucky

$644B

Projected 2050 Value in Kentucky

95% growth

In 2020, total outbound Kentucky trade was $330B. This is expected to increase 95% to $644B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Kentucky trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Kentucky to other states, or from other states to Kentucky.

Most Common Trade Partners

Tennessee
$27.7B
California
$19B
Ohio
$17.7B

In 2020, the top outbound Kentucky domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Tennessee with $27.7B, followed by California with $19B and Ohio and $17.7B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Kentucky shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Letcher County, KY went to Donald J. Trump with 79.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (19.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.755%).

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

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (79.1%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (19.7%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.755%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Letcher County, KY for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

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.

Education

In 2021, universities in Letcher County, KY awarded 12 degrees. The student population of Letcher County, KY in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 0 male students and 24 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Letcher County, KY are White (12 and 100%), followed by Asian (0 and 0%), Black or African American (0 and 0%), and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders (0 and 0%).

The largest universities in Letcher County, KY by number of degrees awarded are Allure Beauty College (12 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Letcher County, KY are General Cosmetology (12 and 100%) and Cosmetology, Barber, & Nail Instructor (0 and 0%).

Completions

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 2021, 0.789% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.712% 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 2021 were High School or Equivalent (1.17M), Some college (777k), and Secondary Education (561k).

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 $61,300 in 2021, which is 0.25 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $54,700 to $61,300, a 12.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Letcher County, KY is 74.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Letcher County, KY have an average commute time of 28.3 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 $35,278. In 2021, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Letcher County, KY was Census Tract 9504.01 with a value of $39,293, followed by Census Tract 9501 and Census Tract 9505, with respective values of $29,005 and $28,158.

Property

$61,300

Median Property Value 2021

±$7,431

$6,298

Median Property Taxes

±$583

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

74.9%

Homeownership

2021

66.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 74.9% of the housing units in Letcher County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 73.9%.

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
Census Tract 9501
Census Tract 9505

In 2021, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Letcher County, KY was Census Tract 9504.01 with a value of $39,293, followed by Census Tract 9501 and Census Tract 9505, with respective values of $29,005 and $28,158.

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.

$35,278

Median Household Income

± $3,403

8.41k

Number of Households

± 701

In 2021, the median household income of the 8.41k households in Letcher County, KY grew to $35,278 from the previous year's value of $33,181.

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 Kentucky.

0.453

2021 Wage GINI in Kentucky

0.454

2020 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2021, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.453 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.236% decline from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2021

Drove Alone (76.4%)
Carpooled (10.7%)
Worked At Home (6.94%)

In 2021, 76.4% of workers in Letcher County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.7%) and those who worked at home (6.94%).

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

28.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Letcher County, KY have a longer commute time (28.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 3.91% 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

Poverty & Diversity

31.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Letcher County, KY (6.67k out of 21.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Males 25 - 34.

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

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.

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.

Health

96.3% of the population of Letcher County, KY has health coverage, with 26.2% on employee plans, 42.9% on Medicaid, 16.7% on Medicare, 8.93% on non-group plans, and 1.53% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Letcher County, KY see 1437 patients per year on average, which represents a 4.97% increase from the previous year (1369 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2652 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1178 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,437 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Letcher County, KY

Primary care physicians in Letcher County, KY see an average of 1,437 patients per year. This represents a 4.97% increase from the previous year (1,369 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 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.4% under 18 years, 16.5% between 18 and 34 years, 41.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 19% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

3.7%

Uninsured

26.2%

Employer Coverage

42.9%

Medicaid

16.7%

Medicare

8.93%

Non-Group

1.53%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Letcher County, KY declined by 12.2% from 4.22% to 3.7%.

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 2022, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 53 in Letcher County, KY.

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

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2022, 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 42.4% in Letcher County, KY.

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

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