Knott County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Knott 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 86% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 87% of counties in Kentucky
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Knott County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,830 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 39.2 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.71% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,521 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Knott County declined by 19.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 13,830 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Knott County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.8% of residents. That is 3.7 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,832 20.5% -0.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,517 18.2% -2.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,289 23.8% +3.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,607 18.8% +1.0 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 50.5% of the people living in Knott County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.5% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Knott County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Knott County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Knott County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $41,985 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.97% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Knott County is about 35% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Knott County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $88,234 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $756 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.7% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Knott County is about 9.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $756 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Knott County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 175 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Knott County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.0 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.1 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 175 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,433 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.6% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,841 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 397 | 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 Knott County is about the same as 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
Knott County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Knott County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.4% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 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
Knott County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Knott County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.8 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 28.6% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 30.7% | 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).
Knott County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Knott County, KY is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 13,830 residents against a local median of 27,499. Knott County, KY's median home price, at $88,234, runs 213% above the $28,169 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $102,188 on median home price, so Knott County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Knott County, KY has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knott County, KY | 13,830 | $41,985 #2/4 | $88,234 #2/4 | 21.0 min #3/4 |
| Letcher County, KY | 20,808 | $41,776 | $22,812 | 20.7 min |
| Perry County, KY | 27,499 | $42,766 | $28,169 | 18.1 min |
| Floyd County, KY | 35,224 | $41,750 | $125,000 | 21.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Knott County, Kentucky.
What is the population of Knott County, Kentucky?
About 13,830 people live in Knott County, Kentucky, in 5,521 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Knott County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Knott County, Kentucky has 39 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 45% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Knott County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 2.1 times the median household income ($88,234 against $41,985), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $756 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Knott County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Knott County, Kentucky is 9.3%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Knott County, Kentucky have a college degree?
14.4% of adults in Knott County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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