What are Kentucky’s 10 poorest counties? Analysis finds one has median income of $28K
The poorest county in Kentucky has a median income of $31,927, according to a recent report from financial website SmartAsset. The site named Magoffin County the poorest in the commonwealth.
The report named Fayette County the 11th wealthiest in the Bluegrass State. The most recent ranking reflects data from 2024, according to SmartAsset.
SmartAsset’s report used sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, real estate site Zillow and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to compile the ranking. The three metrics considered included investment income, property value and median income.
While Magoffin County was named the least wealthy in the commonwealth overall, another county had the lowest median income. Wolfe County has the lowest median income across Kentucky, SmartAsset reports, at $28,666.
Wolfe County’s poverty rate is 28.6%, according to the Census Bureau, but it’s improved slightly since 2023, when it came in at 29%.
Statewide, Kentucky’s median household income is $62,417, according to the Census Bureau, and 16.4% of the commonwealth’s residents live in poverty.
Purchasing power has been reduced across the U.S. recently, with a 3% overall inflation rate from January 2024 to January 2025. An additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods and more proposed tariffs are likely to cause consumer prices to increase, as well.
The poorest counties in Kentucky
Here’s how the 10 poorest counties in Kentucky compare, according to SmartAsset:
1. Magoffin County
Median income: $31,927
Investment income: $9,928
Median home value: $110,946
Poverty level: 29.2% (The poverty level is not used in SmartAsset’s ranking criteria. The poverty rate data is from the Census Bureau).
2. Lee County
Median income: $31,682
Investment income: $10,960
Median home value: $125,643
Poverty level: 31.1%
3. Owsley County
Median income: $32,844
Investment income: $5,758
Median home value: $122,079
Poverty level: 33.1%
4. Wolfe County
Median income: $28,666
Investment income: $12,636
Median home value: $175,736
Poverty level: 28.6%
5. Harlan County
Median income: $35,128
Investment income: $16,251
Median home value: $70,037
Poverty level: 29.7%
6. Bell County
Median income: $33,658
Investment income: $25,356
Median home value: $82,504
Poverty level: 28.9%
7. Leslie County
Median income: $37,019
Investment income: $7,460
Median home value: $78,531
Poverty level: 26.7%
8. McCreary County
Median income: $35,000
Investment income: $21,468
Median home value: $90,272
Poverty level: 35.9%
9. Fulton County
Median income: $35,449
Investment income: $27,792
Median home value: $76,165
Poverty level: 25.9%
10. Letcher County
Median income: $38,466
Investment income: $13,974
Median home value: $69,526
Poverty level: 23.8%
Several counties switched places from 2023’s ranking. Breathitt County was named the poorest in Kentucky in 2023, but landed in the 12th-poorest position in this ranking.
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