COUNTY · 1990 CENSUS

Letcher County

Kentucky · 27,000 residents · 338 sq mi

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Letcher County is a county of 27,000 people in Kentucky. The poverty rate is 31.8%, above the 13.2% national rate. Median home value sits at $26,400. 7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 20% national rate. Owners hold 79% of the housing stock. That trails the Kentucky median by roughly 33%.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Mid-age

median age 32.6

US median: 33.0

Less educated

7% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

27,000

+7%vs 2000

vs 25,277 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

32.6

−14%vs 2000

vs 37.9 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

338 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202421K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56.2%(1,682)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 97.8%(2,107)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 149.4%(2,549)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 198.3%(2,236)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.6%(1,781)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3416%(4,314)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4415.3%(4,133)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 5410.3%(2,777)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 648.4%(2,261)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 746.9%(1,861)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 844%(1,091)

US avg: 4%

85 and over0.8%(208)

US avg: 1.2%

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Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$15,112

−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $21,110 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$7,340

−39%vs 2000

vs $11,984 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

31.8%

+4.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 27.1% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$26,400

−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $35,700 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$226

−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $309 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

78.6%

−2.4 ptsvs 2000

vs 80.9% in 2000

21.4% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic98.3%(24,853)

Black0.5%(129)

Hispanic / Latino0.4%(110)

Asian0.3%(70)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic99.3%(26,820)

Black0.4%(106)

Hispanic / Latino0%(8)

Asian0.1%(33)

Other0.2%(41)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Puerto Rican0.5%(107)

Cuban0.2%(44)

Spaniard0%(6)

Asian origin

Asian Indian0.1%(11)

Chinese0%(10)

Pakistani0%(7)

Korean0%(6)

Filipino0%(4)

Vietnamese0%(2)

Ancestry

English12.2%(2,536)

American9.9%(2,058)

Irish9.8%(2,046)

German7.1%(1,480)

Italian1.7%(355)

Scottish1.3%(280)

French1.3%(272)

Scotch-Irish1.2%(242)

Dutch0.8%(157)

Welsh0.6%(125)

Subsaharan African0.5%(95)

Polish0.2%(49)

+ 10 more ancestry groups with data

Norwegian0.2%(41)

Cape Verdean0.2%(34)

West Indian0.2%(33)

Hungarian0.1%(27)

French Canadian0.1%(20)

Arab0%(7)

British0%(7)

Slovak0%(4)

Slovene0%(4)

Nigerian0%(4)

RANKED:Largest English population · Largest American population · Largest Irish population · Largest German population · Largest Italian population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

6.7%

−1.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 7.7% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

45.6%

−12.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 58.5% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

2.8%

−0.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 3.4% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

23.7 min

+21%vs 2000

vs 19.5 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married27.8%(2,344)

Married57.3%(4,834)

Widowed4.4%(375)

Divorced10.5%(887)

Women 15+

Never married18.8%(1,631)

Married51%(4,417)

Widowed15.3%(1,330)

Divorced14.9%(1,288)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

3.4%

−13.8 ptssince 2013

from 17.2% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

35.8%

−0.8 ptssince 2020

from 36.6% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

8.5%

+0.4 ptssince 2020

from 8.1% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

27.5%

+1.8 ptssince 2020

from 25.7% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

47.4%

+1.4 ptssince 2020

from 46.0% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

3.1%

+0.6 ptssince 2020

from 2.5% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

42.8%

−1.2 ptssince 2020

from 44.0% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

67.3%

+1.4 ptssince 2020

from 65.9% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

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)13.6%(138)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)10.8%(109)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era54.8%(555)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War1%(10)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0%(0)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,012 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.

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