Kentucky

These are the 10 richest counties in Kentucky, analysis says. How Fayette County fared

Vehicles drive along Main Street in downtown Lexington, Ky., Thursday, June 15, 2023. Fayette County was ranked the seventh wealthiest in the Kentucky in a recent SmartAsset analysis.
Vehicles drive along Main Street in downtown Lexington, Ky., Thursday, June 15, 2023. Fayette County was ranked the seventh wealthiest in the Kentucky in a recent SmartAsset analysis. rhermens@herald-leader.com

A recent analysis named Fayette County seventh among the wealthiest counties in Kentucky.

That’s according to a recent ranking of the richest U.S. counties, which measured income, property values and investment income and was published by tech company SmartAsset. The analysis used data from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, popular real estate site Zillow and the U.S. Census Bureau for the report.

Fayette County’s median income of $61,526 is about $6,000 more than the statewide midpoint, which is $55,454. Additionally, the county’s investment income is more than $20,000 higher than the state’s figure.

While Fayette County is ranked high in the study, the Census Bureau still reports 14.6% of the county’s population lives in poverty.

Oldham County, which includes the cities of La Grange, Crestwood, Pewee Valley, Goshen, Prospect and Westport, took first place in the ranking with a median income of $109,815.

Here’s a look at the 10 richest counties in Kentucky, according to SmartAsset.

Wealthiest counties in Kentucky

No. 1: Oldham County

  • Median income: $109,815
  • Investment income: $34,786
  • Median home value: $401,782

No. 2: Spencer County

  • Median income: $92,973
  • Investment income: $11,363
  • Median home value: $326,409

Spencer County includes the city of Taylorsville.

No. 3: Woodford County

  • Median income: $72,765
  • Investment income: $30,984
  • Median home value: $284,406

Woodford County consists of the cities Midway and Versailles.

No. 4: Boone County

  • Median income: $87,034
  • Investment income: $27,032
  • Median home value: $294,952

Boone County consists of Florence, Union and Walton.

No. 5: Shelby County

  • Median income: $73,974
  • Investment income: $41,319
  • Median home value: $277,116

Shelby County includes Shelbyville and Simpsonville.

No. 6: Scott County

  • Median income: $73,113
  • Investment income: $18,641
  • Median home value: $275,992

Scott County includes Georgetown.

No. 7: Fayette County

  • Median income: $61,526
  • Investment income: $41,868
  • Median home value: $280,109

No. 8: Jessamine County

  • Median income: $65,196
  • Investment income: $37,556
  • Median home value: $264,819

Jessamine County includes Nicholasville and Wilmore.

No. 9: Jefferson County

  • Median income: $61,633
  • Investment income: $47,691
  • Median home value: $235,446

No. 10: Campbell County

  • Median income: $65,580
  • Investment income: $31,629
  • Median home value: $236,212

Campbell County includes Alexandria, Bellevue and Crestview.

How does Kentucky rank nationally?

Oldham County ranks 173rd nationally in the list of wealthiest counties in the U.S., while Spencer County comes in at spot No. 373. Fayette County took the 662nd slot.

San Mateo County, California took first place in the national ranking with a median income of $136,837 and midpoint home value sitting at more than $1.4 million. Three other California counties took second through fourth place, with Nantucket County in Massachusetts taking fifth.

Counties in New York, Wyoming and Virginia also ranked in the top ten nationally.

Do you have a question about Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.

Lindsay Smith
The Wichita Eagle
Lindsay Smith is a suburban news reporter for the Wichita Eagle, covering the communities of Andover, Bel Aire, Derby, Haysville and Kechi. She has been on The Eagle staff since 2022 and was the service journalism reporter for three years. She has a degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism from Wichita State, where she was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Sunflower, for two years. You can reach her via email at lsmith@wichitaeagle.com.
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