Kentucky Income Statistics
Kentucky Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a state's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
-
C
Kentucky Below averageLess wealthy than 86% of states in US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Wealthiest and Least Wealthy Counties in Kentucky
- Oldham County (117% of U.S. avg)
- Boone County (113% of U.S. avg)
- Spencer County (112% of U.S. avg)
- Elliott County (59% of U.S. avg)
- Wolfe County (61% of U.S. avg)
- Bell County (62% of U.S. avg)
Ranked by the Map AI Wealth Index, which combines income, employment, and income inequality metrics.
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Kentucky | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $52,849 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 8.9% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 7.2% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Kentucky is about 20% lower than in US. Income has been growing slower in Kentucky (4.6%/yr) than in US (4.8%/yr).
About 9% of adults in Kentucky earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the US average of 14%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Kentucky grew by 55.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $64,312 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.6% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Kentucky
| Metric | Kentucky | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.547 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $60,966 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $49,119 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 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 Kentucky, it is 0.547, about the same as US's 0.552, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there.
Men's income is about 24% more than women's income in Kentucky. Over a 35-year career, a 24% 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 Kentucky has narrowed from about 25% to 19% in 2024. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,406 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Kentucky | US Average |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 104,723 people are unemployed in Kentucky.
The average commute time in Kentucky is 20 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in US.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Kentucky has fallen from 8.8% to 4.8% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 9.7% in 2013 and fell as low as 4.8% in 2023.
Kentucky Wealth Compared With Nearby States
Kentucky is the 5th largest of the 6 states compared here, 4,533,530 residents against a local median of 7,058,506. Kentucky sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these states turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is median household income, 10% below the local median at $64,312 against $71,509. Kentucky has the 5th highest median household income 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 4,533,530 | $64,312 #5/6 | 4.6%/yr #2/6 | 4.8% #4/6 | 0.547 #5/6 |
| Tennessee | 7,058,506 | $69,901 | 5.2%/yr | 4.6% | 0.542 |
| Indiana | 6,845,048 | $71,967 | 4.5%/yr | 4.3% | 0.534 |
| Ohio | 11,799,428 | $71,509 | 4.4%/yr | 4.8% | 0.532 |
| Illinois | 12,692,444 | $84,042 | 4.5%/yr | 5.8% | 0.547 |
| West Virginia | 1,778,099 | $59,640 | 4.3%/yr | 5.4% | 0.554 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Kentucky has an overall wealth index grade of C, making it about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Kentucky.
How Rich Is Kentucky?
Kentucky has a wealth index grade of C. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average. The median household income is $64,312, about 20% lower than the US average of $80,455.
Are incomes growing in Kentucky?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Kentucky rose 56%, from $41,245 to $64,312. Over the same years, income here lagged behind the U.S. as a whole: +56% against +57%.
What was the median household income in Kentucky in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Kentucky was $62,783, up 4% from $60,189 in 2022. The US median that year was $78,147.
What was the median household income in Kentucky in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Kentucky was $52,576. By 2024 it had risen 22% to $64,312.
What is the Gini coefficient in Kentucky?
The Gini coefficient in Kentucky is 0.547. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is almost the same as the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed about as equally as in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Kentucky?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Kentucky has narrowed from about 25% to 19% in 2024. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,406 since 2009.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →