McCreary County, Kentucky Income Statistics
McCreary 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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F
McCreary County Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | McCreary County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $33,374 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $35,661 | $52,849 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 7.9% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 1.8% | 8.9% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 0.5% | 7.2% | 13.2% |
The median household income in McCreary County is about 48% lower than in Kentucky. Income has been growing faster in McCreary County (7.9%/yr) than in Kentucky (4.6%/yr).
About 2% of adults in McCreary 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 McCreary County, Kentucky grew by 47.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $33,374 in 2024. That's an average of about 7.9% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in McCreary County
| Metric | McCreary County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.624 | 0.547 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $44,308 | $60,966 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $32,461 | $49,119 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 26.7% | 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 McCreary County, it is 0.624, 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 36% more than women's income in McCreary County, Kentucky. Over a 35-year career, a 36% wage gap accumulates to roughly $414,645 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in McCreary County, Kentucky has widened from about 14% to 27% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 8% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $7,419 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in McCreary County widened by 12.3 points while Kentucky's narrowed by 5.2 points.
Employment
| Metric | McCreary County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 4.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 9.2% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 30 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 200 people are unemployed in McCreary County, Kentucky.
The average commute time in McCreary County is 30 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes in Kentucky.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in McCreary County, Kentucky has fallen from 16.1% to 4.2% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 19.6% in 2014 and fell as low as 2.3% in 2023.
McCreary County, KY Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
McCreary County, KY is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 16,867 residents against a local median of 36,920. McCreary County, KY's income growth, at 7.9%/yr, runs 46% above the 5.4%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $33,374 against a local median of $45,787, 27% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so McCreary County, KY is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 1.4%/yr of each other on income growth, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and McCreary County, KY, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. McCreary County, KY has the 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCreary County, KY | 16,867 | $33,374 #6/6 | 7.9%/yr #1/6 | 4.2% #1/6 | 0.624 #6/6 |
| Scott County, TN | 22,110 | $44,607 | 4.9%/yr | 7.5% | 0.546 |
| Whitley County, KY | 36,920 | $44,696 | 4.2%/yr | 5.3% | 0.574 |
| Wayne County, KY | 19,602 | $45,787 | 5.4%/yr | 5.7% | 0.538 |
| Pulaski County, KY | 65,897 | $52,614 | 5.4%/yr | 4.9% | 0.548 |
| Campbell County, TN | 39,761 | $51,969 | 5.6%/yr | 5.0% | 0.534 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, McCreary County, Kentucky has an overall wealth index grade of F, making it worse than Kentucky, and worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in McCreary County, Kentucky.
How Rich Is McCreary County, Kentucky?
McCreary County has a wealth index grade of F. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; an F grade means residents are well below the U.S. average. The median household income is $33,374, about 48% lower than the Kentucky average of $64,312.
How fast is household income rising in McCreary County, Kentucky?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in McCreary County, Kentucky rose 48%, from $22,608 to $33,374. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Kentucky as a whole: +48% against +56%.
What was the median household income in McCreary County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in McCreary County, Kentucky was $37,449, up 7% from $35,000 in 2022. The Kentucky median that year was $62,783.
What was the median household income in McCreary County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in McCreary County, Kentucky was $29,415. By 2024 it had risen 13% to $33,374.
What is the Gini coefficient in McCreary County, Kentucky?
The Gini coefficient in McCreary County is 0.624. 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 McCreary County, Kentucky?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in McCreary County, Kentucky has widened from about 14% to 27% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 8% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $7,419 since 2009.
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