← Map/← Kentucky/Counties/Owsley

Owsley
Kentucky

Population

$33K

Median Income

$141K

Median Home

R+77

Politics

Economy

Median Household Income$33K

This county

national avg ~$75K

Poverty Rate32.9%

This county

national avg ~11.5%

Unemployment Rate6.9%

This county

national avg ~3.8%

GDP per Capita$16,412

Median Individual Earnings$31K

This county

national avg $45K

Professional/Management Workers29.2%

Average Adjusted Gross Income$43K

Avg Credit Score648

Work From Home %4.1%

This county

national avg 17.0%

Population Under 1818.5%

This county

national avg 22.0%

Single-Person Households34.9%

This county

national avg 28.0%

Income (20th Percentile)$13K

Income (80th Percentile)$82K

Income (95th Percentile)$145K

Bachelor's Degree or Higher9.9%

This county

national avg 35.0%

Less Than High School28.6%

This county

national avg 11.0%

Knowledge Economy GDP %4.3%

Dependency Ratio0.98

Medicare Spending / Person$4,897

SS Benefits / Person$3,791

Education Wage Premium1.58x

Median Earnings (Bachelor's)$32K

Median Earnings (Graduate)$54K

Median Earnings (HS Diploma)$34K

Public Assistance Recipients2.4%

Average Annual Wage$40K

Housing

Median Home Value$139K

This county

$215K state avg

$303K national

Property Tax Rate0.76%

This county

0.78% state avg

1.10% national

Annual tax on median home: $598

Affordability & Supply

HUD Fair Market Rent (2BR)$866/mo

Home Value to Income Ratio1.6x income

Severely Cost-Burdened Households6.8%

Homeownership Rate63.3%

This county

national avg ~65%

Days on Market (Redfin)— Slow — buyers have leverage

303 days

Months of Supply (Redfin)— High inventory — buyers market

10.0 mo

Sold Above List (Redfin)

0.0%

Sale-to-List Ratio (Redfin)— Buyers market — homes selling below list

90.9%

Source: Redfin · Updated monthly

Health

Life Expectancy65.8 yrs

This county

national avg ~78.5 years

Food Insecurity21.8%

This county

national avg ~11%

Food Environment Index6.0 / 10

This county

higher = better access

Primary Care Shortage Score20

This county

national avg 5

Mental Health Shortage Score18

Dental Care Shortage Score19

Healthcare Shortage Score19.0

Healthcare Offices8

Active Physicians1

Nursing Home Rating4.0 / 5

This county

national avg ~3 stars

ER Visits per 1,000 Medicare Patients706 / 1,000

Medicare Cost per Beneficiary$11,894

Uninsured (under 65)7.6%

This county

national avg ~10%

Education

Math Test Scores2.69 grade level

Reading Test Scores2.39 grade level

HS Diploma Holders1,076

Bachelor's Degree Holders87

HS Completion Rate71.4%

This county

national avg ~85%

Safety

Violent Crime Rate5.7 / 1,000

This county

national avg ~4.0

Drug Overdose Rate86.6 / 100K

This county

national avg ~21/100K

Traffic Fatalities3

Social Vulnerability (CDC SVI)51th pct

Drug Overdose Deaths (2024)81.2 / 100K

Climate & Air Quality

Natural Amenity Scale-1.7

January Sunshine-0.80

January Temperature0.26

Average Temp57°F

Avg High Temp68°F

Avg Low Temp46°F

Annual Precipitation57.4 in/yr

Avg Storm Events5.4 storms/yr

Avg Annual Storm Damage$14K

Drought Index (2022)1.01

Heating Degree Days4,235 HDD/yr

This county

national avg ~4,500 HDD/yr

Cooling Degree Days1,282 CDD/yr

This county

national avg ~1,200 CDD/yr

Heating Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)4,510 HDD/yr

Cooling Degree Days (1901–2000 Baseline)1,133 CDD/yr

Avg Tornadoes / Year0.0

Avg Flood Events / Year2.0

Avg Hail Events / Year0.8

Avg Hurricane Events / Year0.00

Avg Wildfire Events / Year0.0

Avg Winter Storms / Year0.0

Avg Heat Events / Year0.0

Natural Hazard Risk (FEMA)8 / 100

Community Resilience (FEMA)2 / 100

Federal Disaster Declarations48 since 1953

Fine Particulate Pollution (PM2.5)7.3 µg/m³

This county

EPA standard 9 µg/m³

Outdoor & Recreation

Historic Places (NRHP)1 properties

Internet & Remote Work

Download Speed194 Mbps

This county

national avg ~120 Mbps

Upload Speed190 Mbps

Fixed Internet (Q1 2026)244 Mbps

Mobile Internet (Q1 2026)142 Mbps

Mobile Upload (Q1 2026)11 Mbps

Mobile Latency (Q1 2026)19 ms

Households with 100Mbps+100.0%

This county

national avg 75.0%

Cellular-Only Internet8.2%

This county

national avg 8.0%

Fixed Upload Speed (Q1 2026)197 Mbps

Commute & Transit

Remote Workers45 workers

Public Transit Commuters0 workers

Walk to Work22 workers

Extreme Commutes (90+ min)180 workers

Walk to Work2.0%

Families & Childcare

Childcare Cost Burden39.0%

This county

national median ~27% of household income

Childcare Centers3.7 per 10K residents

Civic & Community

Voter Turnout53.1%

This county

national avg ~55%

Volunteering Rate1.0%

Income Inequality (Gini)6.336

Nonprofit Organizations27

Veterans Share4.3%

This county

national avg 7.0%

Married Adults48.0%

Never-Married Adults24.3%

Divorced Adults14.3%

Asian Population0.1%

Membership Associations0.0 per 10K residents

Lifestyle & Services

Real Estate Firms4

Debt Burden

Avg Mortgage Balance$28K

Avg Student Loan Balance$8K

Avg Credit Card Balance$3K

Loan Delinquency Rate50.3%

This county

national avg 4.0%

Innovation

Inventor Rate0.04%

Politics

R+77

2024 Presidential · Kentucky was R+26 statewide

vs Kentucky State

Income tax

4%Same (state law)

Property tax

0.76%0.78% state avg

Politics

R+77R+26

COL Index

County data85 (state)

Population & Migration

Net Domestic Migration 2023

↑ +73

More people arriving than leaving

IRS Wealth Migration

Lower-income migration pattern (IRS: 0.74x avg income)

Economic Mobility

34%

chance a low-income child reaches the middle class

Source: Opportunity Insights

Real Estate

Find Homes in Owsley County

Median home value: $141K

View on Zillow →View on Realtor.com →

Opens in a new tab

Local News — Owsley

MaxPreps · 1 month ago

Owsley County vs Menifee County | Baseball | 03/27/2025

Owsley County Owls / Lady Owls (Booneville, KY) followers left the game pleased Thursday as they obs…

NFHS Network · May 16, 2026

2026 KHSAA Baseball Postseason Tournament Owsley County High School vs. Powell County High School

Watch the 2026 KHSAA Baseball Postseason Tournament Owsley County High School vs. Powell County High…

Cincinnati Enquirer · Jun 18, 2026

Heavy storms caused damage in Greater Cincinnati, NKY. See photos

Roof damage to the Magnolia Springs Springs senior living in after overnight storms hit Florence. Ca…

Antarctica Journal · Apr 16, 2026

Owsley County: A Look at America's Poorest County

Learn about Owsley County, KY, where poverty affects over 41% of residents. Understand the struggles…

MaxPreps · 1 month ago

Estill County Varsity Baseball @ Owsley County

View pregame, in-game and post-game details from the Estill County (Irvine, KY) vs Owsley County (Bo…

Cincinnati Enquirer · Mar 31, 2026

Voter voices in KY's 4th Congressional District

A man checks out lottery tickets at Collins Country Market in Garrison, Kentucky. Cara Owsley/ The E…

Explore Other Kentucky Counties

Adair County, Kentucky Allen County, Kentucky Ballard County, Kentucky Barren County, Kentucky Bath County, Kentucky Bell County, Kentucky Boone County, Kentucky Bourbon County, Kentucky Boyd County, Kentucky Boyle County, Kentucky Bracken County, Kentucky Breathitt County, Kentucky All Kentucky counties →

Full Kentucky profile

Taxes, cost of living, crime, schools, gun laws and more.

View Kentucky →

Data: Census ACS, BLS, Zillow, USDA Natural Amenities, OpenElections 2024, CMS, NCES. Vintage 2022–2025. News via Google News.

OwsleyKentucky

Owsley
Kentucky