Estill County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Estill County, KY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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D
Health Well below averageLess healthy than 94% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 86% of counties in Kentucky
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Estill County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,035 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 54.9 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.33% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.1 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,975 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Estill County declined by 5.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 14,035 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Estill County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.5% of residents. That is 2.4 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,572 18.3% -3.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,705 19.3% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,157 22.5% +2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,926 20.8% +3.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Kentucky, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.3% of the people living in Estill County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.7% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Estill County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Estill County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Estill County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,575 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.86% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Estill County is about 28% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Estill County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $17,500 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $711 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.4% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Estill County is about 2.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $711 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Estill County spend about 55 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 229 hours, about 9.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Estill County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.5 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 55.1 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 229 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,113 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.0% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,962 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 336 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Estill County is 28 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Kentucky.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Estill County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Estill County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.3% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Estill County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Estill County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 71.3 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 27.8% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 31.1% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Estill County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Estill County, KY compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estill County, KY | 14,035 | $46,575 #3/3 | $17,500 #3/3 | 27.5 min #3/3 |
| Madison County, KY | 95,769 | $64,757 | $113,146 | 21.0 min |
| Clark County, KY | 37,190 | $66,114 | $217,279 | 21.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Estill County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Estill County, Kentucky?
About 14,035 people live in Estill County, Kentucky, in 5,975 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Estill County, Kentucky urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Estill County, Kentucky has 55 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 63% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Estill County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 0.4 times the median household income ($17,500 against $46,575), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $711 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Estill County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Estill County, Kentucky is 7.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Estill County, Kentucky?
10.3% of adults in Estill County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 10), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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