Barbourville is a city of 3,146 people in Kentucky. The poverty rate is 51.8%, above the 12.5% national rate. That trails the Kentucky median by roughly 65%. 44% of homes are owner-occupied. That sits in the bottom 5% of US cities for household income. Households take in $22,046 at the median, 73% less than the US figure.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $22,046, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 44%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Barbourville
What changed most since 1990
Poverty rate38.9% → 51.8%(+12.9 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Median age36.9 → 34.7(−2.2 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
White share96.5% → 88.4%(−8.1 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Barbourville's population equals 11% of Knox County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 1.0% of the county's. Its number of households without a car equals 26% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)53.8%(43)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)41.3%(33)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era16.3%(13)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0%(0)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 80 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Barbourville, decade by decade
Barbourville population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
3,465
$29,036
$110,643
15.6%
8.5
2000
3,589
$24,223
$126,423
17.5%
14.3
2010
3,165
$29,052
$124,005
14.8%
19.5
2020
3,222
$42,854
$191,502
28.7%
20.5
2024
3,146
$22,046
$182,400
27.9%
26.7
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
