Carter County, Kentucky Income Statistics
Carter County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Carter County Well below averageLess wealthy than 83% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Carter County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $51,424 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $45,291 | $52,849 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.4% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.3% | 8.9% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 3.0% | 7.2% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Carter County is about 20% lower than in Kentucky. Income has been growing slower in Carter County (4.4%/yr) than in Kentucky (4.6%/yr).
About 6% of adults in Carter County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Kentucky average of 9%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Carter County, Kentucky grew by 55.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $51,424 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.4% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Carter County
| Metric | Carter County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.579 | 0.547 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $59,542 | $60,966 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $42,100 | $49,119 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 29.3% | 19.4% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Carter County, it is 0.579, higher than Kentucky's 0.547, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 41% more than women's income in Carter County, Kentucky. Over a 35-year career, a 41% wage gap accumulates to roughly $610,470 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Carter County, Kentucky has narrowed from about 33% to 29% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 40% in 2010, and was narrowest at 6% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $4,180 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Carter County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 3.6% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 23 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 545 people are unemployed in Carter County, Kentucky.
The average commute time in Carter County is 23 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes in Kentucky.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Carter County, Kentucky has fallen from 8.3% to 5.3% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 12.1% in 2014 and fell as low as 4.1% in 2023.
Carter County, KY Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Carter County, KY is typical in size for this group, 26,341 residents against a local median of 24,578, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Carter County, KY apart most is income growth: 4.4%/yr, 20% below the local median of 5.5%/yr. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 5.3% against a local median of 6.4%, 17% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Carter County, KY is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 3.1%/yr on income growth, so Carter County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Carter County, KY has the 4th highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County, KY | 26,341 | $51,424 #4/6 | 4.4%/yr #4/6 | 5.3% #2/6 | 0.579 #4/6 |
| Elliott County, KY | 7,307 | $45,833 | 6.5%/yr | 6.5% | 0.650 |
| Greenup County, KY | 35,630 | $61,187 | 3.4%/yr | 6.7% | 0.546 |
| Boyd County, KY | 47,914 | $61,181 | 4.2%/yr | 6.4% | 0.570 |
| Rowan County, KY | 24,578 | $55,857 | 5.5%/yr | 4.1% | 0.585 |
| Lewis County, KY | 12,965 | $46,612 | 6.3%/yr | 6.0% | 0.559 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Carter County, Kentucky has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Kentucky, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Carter County, Kentucky.
How Rich Is Carter County, Kentucky?
Carter County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $51,424, about 20% lower than the Kentucky average of $64,312.
Are incomes growing in Carter County, Kentucky?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Carter County, Kentucky rose 55%, from $33,183 to $51,424. Over the same years, income here kept pace with Kentucky as a whole: +55% against +56%.
What was the median household income in Carter County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Carter County, Kentucky was $50,453, up 7% from $47,140 in 2022. The Kentucky median that year was $62,783.
What was the median household income in Carter County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Carter County, Kentucky was $39,469. By 2024 it had risen 30% to $51,424.
What is the Gini coefficient in Carter County, Kentucky?
The Gini coefficient in Carter County is 0.579. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Carter County, Kentucky?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Carter County, Kentucky has narrowed from about 33% to 29% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 40% in 2010, and was narrowest at 6% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $4,180 since 2009.
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