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PantryPath Research · Rural & Persistent Poverty Atlas

Rural poverty in Kentucky

39 persistent-poverty counties

Kentucky has 39 persistent-poverty counties and 81 nonmetro counties — home to 704,713 residents living in counties with 30+ years of 20%-or-higher poverty. The state's all-ages poverty rate is 16.1% and child poverty is 20.9%.

39

Persistent-poverty counties

81

Nonmetro counties (RUCC 4–9)

705K

Residents in PPCs

120

Total counties

Kentucky by county

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Toggle between the rural hunger risk score, all-ages poverty, child poverty, the Rural-Urban Continuum Code, and the binary persistent-poverty flag. Hover a county for its ERS typology and ACS poverty rate.

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Kentucky at a glance

Poverty rate

16.1%

All ages, ACS S1701

Child poverty

20.9%

Under 18

PPC share

32.5%

Of counties in state

Nonmetro share

67.5%

RUCC 4–9

Pantries / 100K

1.77

PantryPath verified

Risk score (mean)

0.35

Composite 0–1

"Pantries / 100K" divides Kentucky's 80 verified PantryPath pantries by the state population — a minimum-density indicator, not a saturated census. See methodology.

County-level hotspots

Top five counties across 120 in Kentucky.

Highest rural hunger risk

Composite 0–1 score

  1. 1 Wolfe 0.75
  2. 2 McCreary 0.74
  3. 3 Cumberland 0.74
  4. 4 Magoffin 0.73
  5. 5 Clay 0.73

Highest poverty rate

ACS all-ages

  1. 1 Wolfe 38.1%
  2. 2 Knox 36.7%
  3. 3 McCreary 35.1%
  4. 4 Cumberland 33.9%
  5. 5 Magoffin 33.4%

Persistent-poverty counties

PPCs ranked by current poverty

  1. 1 Wolfe 38.1%
  2. 2 Knox 36.7%
  3. 3 McCreary 35.1%
  4. 4 Cumberland 33.9%
  5. 5 Magoffin 33.4%

Every county in Kentucky

All 120 counties with RUCC, typology flags, and ACS poverty data.

County RUCC PPC Flags Poverty Child poverty Population Risk
Adair 7 — — 18.0% 23.8% 19,016 0.30
Allen 3 — — 15.0% 21.5% 21,029 0.14
Anderson 6 — — 12.5% 14.8% 24,098 0.24
Ballard 3 — Pop. loss 13.8% 16.7% 7,678 0.13
Barren 6 — — 21.0% 29.5% 44,670 0.27
Bath 8 Yes Low ed. 23.5% 31.6% 12,812 0.66
Bell 7 Yes Low emp., Low ed., Pop. loss 27.1% 28.4% 23,878 0.63
Boone 1 — — 6.6% 7.4% 137,676 0.03
Bourbon 2 — Housing 13.7% 11.1% 20,174 0.09
Boyd 2 — Pop. loss 17.7% 24.4% 48,043 0.11
Boyle 7 — — 14.2% 15.3% 30,708 0.28
Bracken 1 — — 20.1% 32.9% 8,427 0.08
Breathitt 9 Yes Low emp., Low ed., Pop. loss 28.2% 37.5% 13,438 0.71
Breckinridge 8 — — 21.3% 27.9% 20,722 0.35
Bullitt 1 — — 9.5% 13.5% 83,209 0.04
Butler 3 — Low ed., Pop. loss 18.6% 23.3% 12,373 0.15
Caldwell 7 — Pop. loss 13.9% 13.6% 12,631 0.28
Calloway 7 — — 17.2% 18.3% 37,882 0.29
Campbell 1 — — 10.8% 10.6% 93,193 0.04
Carlisle 3 — Pop. loss 16.7% 27.0% 4,763 0.14
Carroll 6 — Low ed. 18.9% 25.8% 10,878 0.26
Carter 2 — Low emp. 19.6% 25.2% 26,515 0.12
Casey 9 Yes Low emp., Low ed. 24.4% 29.6% 15,951 0.70
Christian 2 — Low emp., Housing 17.2% 18.8% 72,599 0.11
Clark 2 — — 12.9% 18.0% 37,004 0.09
Clay 9 Yes Low emp., Low ed., Pop. loss 31.8% 47.4% 20,105 0.73
Clinton 9 Yes — 18.4% 23.0% 9,240 0.67
Crittenden 8 — Pop. loss 18.1% 33.4% 8,972 0.33
Cumberland 9 Yes Low ed., Pop. loss, Housing 33.9% 35.2% 5,948 0.74
Daviess 3 — — 15.2% 20.5% 103,195 0.14
Edmonson 3 — Low ed. 16.8% 22.7% 12,243 0.14
Elliott 8 Yes Low emp., Low ed. 27.2% 45.3% 7,336 0.67
Estill 8 Yes Low emp., Low ed., Pop. loss 22.0% 25.3% 14,079 0.65
Fayette 2 — Housing 15.7% 19.3% 321,122 0.10
Fleming 9 — — 22.9% 29.3% 15,221 0.39
Floyd 7 Yes Low emp., Low ed., Pop. loss 26.6% 38.7% 35,342 0.63
Franklin 4 — — 13.4% 20.9% 51,563 0.17
Fulton 9 Yes Low emp., Low ed., Pop. loss, Housing 25.7% 45.7% 6,440 0.70
Gallatin 1 — Low ed. 14.4% 20.2% 8,749 0.06
Garrard 8 — — 17.1% 25.0% 17,346 0.33
Grant 1 — — 12.3% 14.0% 25,238 0.05
Graves 6 — — 20.5% 25.7% 36,612 0.27
Grayson 6 — Low ed. 19.3% 28.3% 26,586 0.26
Green 8 — Pop. loss 21.5% 25.8% 11,278 0.35
Greenup 2 — — 15.1% 18.6% 35,639 0.10
Hancock 8 — — 15.9% 19.6% 9,032 0.33
Hardin 3 — — 11.7% 12.4% 111,452 0.12
Harlan 7 Yes Low emp., Pop. loss 27.2% 33.4% 26,185 0.63
Harrison 6 — — 16.4% 16.4% 18,971 0.25
Hart 8 Yes Low ed. 21.2% 27.5% 19,470 0.65
Henderson 4 — — 15.4% 22.7% 44,493 0.17
Henry 1 — Low ed., Housing 16.6% 22.7% 15,774 0.07
Hickman 8 — Pop. loss 20.8% 43.7% 4,470 0.35
Hopkins 5 — — 19.2% 29.3% 45,143 0.23
Jackson 9 Yes Low emp., Low ed., Pop. loss 23.0% 16.1% 13,003 0.69
Jefferson 1 — — 14.5% 20.7% 777,392 0.06
Jessamine 2 — — 10.5% 13.7% 53,792 0.08
Johnson 7 Yes Pop. loss 23.4% 29.3% 22,464 0.62
Kenton 1 — — 11.9% 18.2% 169,817 0.05
Knott 9 Yes Low emp., Pop. loss 25.9% 34.6% 14,046 0.70
Knox 7 Yes Low emp., Low ed. 36.7% 50.2% 30,034 0.67
Larue 3 — — 18.9% 30.4% 15,028 0.15
Laurel 5 Yes — 21.3% 27.4% 62,731 0.54
Lawrence 2 Yes Low emp., Low ed. 22.0% 27.1% 16,171 0.43
Lee 9 Yes Low emp., Low ed., Pop. loss 28.9% 40.7% 7,375 0.72
Leslie 9 Yes Low emp., Pop. loss 27.3% 39.5% 10,261 0.71
Letcher 9 Yes Low emp., Pop. loss 26.8% 33.7% 21,146 0.71
Lewis 8 Yes Low emp., Low ed., Pop. loss 22.6% 28.5% 13,028 0.65
Lincoln 9 — Low ed. 18.5% 15.6% 24,415 0.37
Livingston 3 — Pop. loss 18.9% 35.2% 8,941 0.15
Logan 6 — — 14.0% 16.9% 27,731 0.24
Lyon 8 — Low emp. 10.6% 17.2% 8,831 0.30
Madison 4 — — 15.8% 18.5% 94,064 0.18
Magoffin 9 Yes Low emp., Low ed. 33.4% 41.8% 11,495 0.73
Marion 6 — Low ed. 19.5% 25.8% 19,680 0.27
Marshall 8 — — 13.4% 18.9% 31,728 0.32
Martin 8 Yes Low emp., Low ed. 29.2% 41.2% 11,181 0.68
Mason 6 — — 18.4% 22.0% 16,995 0.26
McCracken 3 — — 15.3% 21.9% 67,584 0.14
McCreary 9 Yes Low emp., Low ed. 35.1% 37.5% 16,905 0.74
McLean 3 — Pop. loss 9.3% 7.3% 9,127 0.11
Meade 1 — — 13.7% 19.7% 30,032 0.05
Menifee 9 Yes Low emp., Low ed., Pop. loss, Retire. 28.2% 45.2% 6,203 0.71
Mercer 6 — — 11.4% 15.2% 22,824 0.23
Metcalfe 9 — — 25.7% 38.6% 10,372 0.40
Monroe 8 Yes — 22.2% 27.7% 11,318 0.65
Montgomery 6 — — 15.2% 15.6% 28,271 0.25
Morgan 9 Yes Low emp., Low ed., Pop. loss 18.2% 20.9% 13,938 0.67
Muhlenberg 6 — Pop. loss 17.8% 27.2% 30,712 0.26
Nelson 1 — — 9.7% 13.6% 47,102 0.04
Nicholas 8 — Low ed. 18.5% 15.5% 7,655 0.34
Ohio 6 — — 13.1% 16.9% 23,704 0.24
Oldham 1 — — 4.0% 4.2% 68,600 0.02
Owen 8 — — 17.2% 17.7% 11,270 0.33
Owsley 9 Yes Low emp., Low ed., Pop. loss 24.9% 15.5% 4,021 0.70
Pendleton 1 — — 14.3% 9.9% 14,683 0.06
Perry 7 Yes Pop. loss 25.5% 31.4% 27,847 0.63
Pike 7 Yes Low emp., Pop. loss 25.0% 33.3% 57,466 0.63
Powell 8 — Low emp., Low ed. 21.7% 28.6% 13,057 0.35
Pulaski 5 — — 20.3% 26.1% 65,503 0.23
Robertson 8 Yes Housing 27.4% 25.0% 2,239 0.67
Rockcastle 9 Yes Low ed. 24.4% 32.0% 16,144 0.70
Rowan 6 Yes — 24.5% 32.5% 24,525 0.59
Russell 9 Yes — 23.4% 27.4% 18,117 0.69
Scott 2 — — 10.4% 13.9% 58,269 0.08
Shelby 1 — — 8.6% 11.3% 48,599 0.03
Simpson 6 — — 15.1% 11.7% 19,786 0.25
Spencer 1 — — 7.4% 9.1% 19,875 0.03
Taylor 7 — — 16.6% 21.9% 26,205 0.29
Todd 8 — Low ed. 21.7% 33.3% 12,330 0.35
Trigg 2 — — 20.4% 32.8% 14,211 0.12
Trimble 8 — — 13.2% 8.0% 8,531 0.32
Union 8 — Pop. loss 17.4% 20.9% 13,379 0.33
Warren 3 — — 16.8% 20.5% 137,549 0.14
Washington 8 — — 12.6% 11.9% 12,091 0.31
Wayne 7 Yes Low emp., Low ed. 24.3% 34.6% 19,592 0.62
Webster 9 — Low ed., Pop. loss 13.9% 12.8% 12,873 0.36
Whitley 7 Yes — 25.1% 27.8% 36,755 0.63
Wolfe 9 Yes Low emp., Low ed. 38.1% 45.2% 6,484 0.75
Woodford 2 — — 10.0% 14.8% 27,017 0.08

Find a food pantry in Kentucky

Search Kentucky's 80 verified pantries, food banks, and meal programs — filtered by city, open-now status, and service type.

Kentucky pantry directory

Kentucky SNAP

Income limits, application steps, and EBT card details for residents of persistent-poverty counties and beyond.

Kentucky SNAP guide

Emergency food help

National hotlines, 211 referrals, and same-day food options — critical in rural counties where the nearest pantry may be 30+ miles away.

Emergency food

Food deserts atlas

Rural poverty and low food access often overlap. Compare persistent-poverty counties to USDA's low-income / low-access food desert designations.

Kentucky food deserts

Methodology

How we combined USDA ERS typology codes, the Rural-Urban Continuum, ACS poverty data, and PantryPath's own pantry directory — plus the risk-score formula.

Full methodology