United States › Kentucky › Letcher County COUNTY · 2010 ACS
Letcher County Kentucky · 24,519 residents · 338 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS 2024 ACS
The short version
Letcher County is home to 24,519 people in Kentucky. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 28% national rate. Median home value sits at $51,500. 26.8% of locals live below the federal poverty line. 77% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 0%.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 40.9
US median: 37.2
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01
Population & growth from 37.9 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
20K 22K 24K 26K 28K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Letcher County Age distribution, 2010
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Section 02
Income & economy $31,283
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $21,110 in 2000
US average: $52,703
from $11,984 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
from 15.7% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
from 27.1% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Workforce by industry, 2010
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 20.9%
Professional, scientific, technical 4.6%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing 1.6%
Public administration 1.4%
Education & health services 0.9%
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$51,500
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,700 in 2000
US average: $225,659
$464
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $309 in 2000
US average: $853
from 80.9% in 2000
22.7% rent
from 17.4% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
from 2.39 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
from 16.1% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
from 20.9% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
from 1.6 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 98.3%(24,853)
Hispanic / Latino 0.4%(110)
2010
White, non-Hispanic 98.4%(24,120)
Hispanic / Latino 0.5%(124)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 8 more ancestry groups with data from 7.7% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
from 58.5% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
from 3.4% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 19.5 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
from 80.9% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
from 13.5% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
from 12.7% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07
Work & employment from 17.7% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
from 28.4% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08
People & community from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married 27.8%(2,344)
Women 15+
Never married 18.8%(1,631)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).
from 17.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 36.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 8.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 25.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 46.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 44.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
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)
Gulf War (1990s) 10.8%(109)
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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Drill deeper
Places similar to Letcher County Head to head
Compare Letcher County to nearby counties LETCHER COUNTY VS
Wise County
Income $52,943 +69%
Home value $118,600 +130%
Population 34,824 +75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LETCHER COUNTY VS
Knott County
Income $41,761 +33%
Home value $77,000 +50%
Population 13,321 −33%
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LETCHER COUNTY VS
Norton
Income $41,495 +33%
Home value $110,000 +114%
Population 3,477 −83%
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LETCHER COUNTY VS
Perry County
Income $42,181 +35%
Home value $91,800 +78%
Population 26,555 +33%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Letcher County, Kentucky? Letcher County, Kentucky has about 24,519 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Letcher County, Kentucky? The typical household in Letcher County, Kentucky earns about $31,283 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Letcher County, Kentucky expensive? In Letcher County, Kentucky, the median home is worth about $51,500, and the typical rent is about $464 a month.
How educated are people in Letcher County, Kentucky? About 11.7% of adults age 25 and over in Letcher County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Letcher County, Kentucky? About 26.8% of people in Letcher County, Kentucky live below the federal poverty line.
Has Letcher County, Kentucky grown since 1990? Yes, Letcher County, Kentucky has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 2,481 residents, a change of about -9 percent over that period.
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