Harlan County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Harlan 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 average
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F
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 82% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Harlan County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,771 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 55.0 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.04% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.5 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,731 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Harlan County declined by 16.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,771 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Harlan County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.6% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,017 19.5% -1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,103 19.8% -1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,562 21.6% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,931 19.1% +1.3 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 51.3% of the people living in Harlan County and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 48.7% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Harlan County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Harlan County has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Harlan County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $41,438 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.47% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.5% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Harlan County is about 36% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Harlan County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $104,521 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $678 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.6% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Harlan County is about 12.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $678 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Harlan County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 144 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Harlan County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.3 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.5 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 144 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,459 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.8% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,679 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 311 | 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 Harlan County is 17 minutes, shorter 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
Harlan County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Harlan County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.8% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 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
Harlan County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Harlan County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.1 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 29.4% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 30.8% | 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).
Harlan County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Harlan County, KY is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 25,771 residents against a local median of 21,899. Where Harlan County, KY breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 271% above the local median of $28,169 at $104,521.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 17.3 min against a local median of 20.6 min, 16% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 16% below the local median it puts Harlan County, KY at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $255,113 on median home price, so Harlan County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Harlan County, KY has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan County, KY | 25,771 | $41,438 #4/4 | $104,521 #2/4 | 17.3 min #1/4 |
| Lee County, VA | 21,899 | $42,003 | $277,925 | 20.6 min |
| Perry County, KY | 27,499 | $42,766 | $28,169 | 18.1 min |
| Letcher County, KY | 20,808 | $41,776 | $22,812 | 20.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Harlan County, Kentucky.
How big is Harlan County, Kentucky by population?
About 25,771 people live in Harlan County, Kentucky, in 10,731 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Harlan County, Kentucky mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Harlan County, Kentucky has 55 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 64% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Harlan County, Kentucky an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($104,521 against $41,438), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $678 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Harlan County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Harlan County, Kentucky is 9.5%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Harlan County, Kentucky have a college degree?
9.8% of adults in Harlan 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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