RANKING · 2024 ACS · 86 SHOWN OF 86

Highest poverty rate, Kentucky cities

Kentucky cities with the highest share of residents below the federal poverty line (2024 ACS). This list covers the 86 cities in Kentucky that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 86 is 15.9%. Biggest climber in the top 100 since 2020: Central City, KY, up 40 places to #11.

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KentuckyAll statesPop > 5KAll rankings

SAME RANKING BYCounties States Metros ZIP codes

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOVERTY RATEVS 2000

01Morehead, KYKY6,77638.0%+12.0 pts

02▲1Middlesborough, KYKY8,77631.0%+2.8 pts

03▲8Williamsburg, KYKY5,37130.9%−4.5 pts

04▲11Cynthiana, KYKY6,57630.5%+14.4 pts

05▼1Monticello, KYKY5,72130.4%−3.7 pts

06▲4London, KYKY7,63730.2%+9.5 pts

07▼2Somerset, KYKY12,69527.2%+5.1 pts

08▼2Pikeville, KYKY7,27027.1%+1.7 pts

09▼7Mayfield, KYKY9,85126.9%−0.6 pts

10▲7Corbin, KYKY7,91126.0%+5.0 pts

11▲40Central City, KYKY5,79325.6%+5.2 pts

12▼3Lebanon, KYKY6,69925.6%−4.7 pts

13▲3Bowling Green, KYKY78,50525.6%+3.7 pts

14▼7Leitchfield, KYKY7,01524.3%+3.1 pts

15▲7Maysville, KYKY8,68824.3%+5.4 pts

16▼3Murray, KYKY18,96424.1%+2.1 pts

17▲3Campbellsville, KYKY11,78323.4%+1.8 pts

18▲1Madisonville, KYKY19,42823.3%+6.9 pts

19▲18Oak Grove, KYKY7,83023.1%+12.5 pts

20▲10Ashland, KYKY20,99622.4%+4.0 pts

21▲7Paducah, KYKY26,73022.3%−0.1 pts

22▼14Glasgow, KYKY15,30221.9%+2.5 pts

23▲24Shepherdsville, KYKY14,93121.5%+6.3 pts

24▲2Covington, KYKY41,84720.8%+2.4 pts

25▼11Newport, KYKY13,99820.8%−1.6 pts

26▼5Russellville, KYKY7,45420.7%−2.3 pts

27▼4Highland Heights, KYKY6,34119.9%+11.0 pts

28▼16Richmond, KYKY40,66319.5%−5.4 pts

29▼5Hopkinsville, KYKY30,41119.3%+2.5 pts

30▲6Frankfort, KYKY28,65719.1%+5.1 pts

31▲1Owensboro, KYKY60,89218.9%+3.0 pts

32▼7Henderson, KYKY27,82218.7%+2.2 pts

33▲13Flatwoods, KYKY7,43918.4%+6.9 pts

34▼5Berea, KYKY16,66217.9%+0.4 pts

35Danville, KYKY17,73617.4%+5.1 pts

36▼9Winchester, KYKY19,51417.3%+1.8 pts

37▲12Franklin, KYKY10,75917.1%+3.4 pts

38▲12Elizabethtown, KYKY35,44817.0%+6.5 pts

39▲4Paris, KYKY10,13016.9%−0.9 pts

40▼22Mount Sterling, KYKY7,58616.9%−2.5 pts

41▲3Versailles, KYKY10,73416.4%+2.3 pts

42▼8Radcliff, KYKY22,57615.9%+3.5 pts

43▼12Dayton, KYKY5,97415.9%−0.5 pts

44▲4Louisville, KYKY641,96215.8%–

45▼3Princeton, KYKY6,16815.8%−2.8 pts

46▼6Elsmere, KYKY9,52115.6%+7.4 pts

47▼2Lexington, KYKY329,75114.9%+2.1 pts

48▼15Shively, KYKY15,89514.7%+0.2 pts

49▲4Bardstown, KYKY14,16114.7%−3.0 pts

50▼11Harrodsburg, KYKY9,57614.5%−2.6 pts

51▲5Shelbyville, KYKY18,45314.5%−1.0 pts

52▲6Erlanger, KYKY20,15813.7%+8.1 pts

53▼15Nicholasville, KYKY33,85713.1%+1.5 pts

54▲9Walton, KYKY5,86813.0%+5.3 pts

55▲6Wilmore, KYKY6,38012.5%+1.0 pts

56▼4Georgetown, KYKY40,88312.1%+1.4 pts

57▼16Lawrenceburg, KYKY12,32912.0%+3.4 pts

58▼3Fort Campbell North, KYKY11,35611.7%−1.4 pts

59▼2Bellevue, KYKY5,84711.4%+1.2 pts

60▲7Hillview, KYKY9,02011.2%+4.0 pts

61▲17Vine Grove, KYKY7,01811.1%+0.9 pts

62▲2Taylor Mill, KYKY7,14410.9%+6.1 pts

63▼9Hebron, KYKY6,40710.0%–

64▲10Cold Spring, KYKY6,6409.9%+8.8 pts

65▲4Florence, KYKY34,0189.5%0.0 pts

66▼4Lyndon, KYKY11,3019.2%+4.0 pts

67▼7Middletown, KYKY9,9449.1%+5.0 pts

68▲4Fort Knox, KYKY8,8369.0%+2.4 pts

69▼4Independence, KYKY30,1988.8%+2.2 pts

70▼2Crestwood, KYKY6,5828.1%+0.7 pts

71▲9Fort Mitchell, KYKY8,7518.1%+4.6 pts

72▼13La Grange, KYKY10,6698.0%−2.7 pts

73▲2Reidland, KYKY5,2777.9%+3.4 pts

74▼1Alexandria, KYKY10,9947.7%+3.7 pts

75▼9St. Matthews, KYKY17,8687.2%+0.4 pts

76▼5Jeffersontown, KYKY29,1936.5%+2.2 pts

77▲8Douglass Hills, KYKY5,5756.4%+3.4 pts

78▼2Fort Thomas, KYKY17,1426.1%+1.3 pts

79▼2Burlington, KYKY18,0085.5%+2.9 pts

80▼10Mount Washington, KYKY18,9895.3%−2.6 pts

81▲1Edgewood, KYKY8,5033.8%+2.3 pts

82▼3Villa Hills, KYKY7,7973.7%+1.2 pts

83▼2Fort Wright, KYKY6,2403.0%−0.9 pts

84▲2Union, KYKY7,9372.9%+1.5 pts

85▼1Oakbrook, KYKY10,2112.5%+1.4 pts

86▼3Francisville, KYKY10,5651.7%–

SHOWING 1–86 OF 86

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES