Breathitt County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Breathitt County has a population of 13,276 residents and a median age of 42.8 years, making it the #2,270 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 33.1%. The median home value is $70,300, and the median household income is $34,808, which is 54% below the national median.
Demographics
Breathitt County has a population of 13,276, making it the #2,270 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.8 years, which is 10.0% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Breathitt County is $34,808, ranking #3,125 out of 3,222 counties — 53.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 33.1% and unemployment stands at 9.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Breathitt County is $70,300 (-75.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $548/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Breathitt County, 15.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 54.6% below the national average, ranking #2,768 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Breathitt County is 67.5 years. 26.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
24.4% of adults in Breathitt County smoke , 43.1% are obese , and 14.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 63.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 22.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 42.8 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
37.3% of children in Breathitt County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 49.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Breathitt County is 55.8%. The mean commute time is 31.1 min, which is 12.7% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Breathitt County voted Republican with a margin of 59.3%. The vote was 19.6% Dem / 78.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Breathitt County, Kentucky
Breathitt County, Kentucky has a total population of 13,276, making it the 2,270th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Breathitt County is 42.8 years, which is 10.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Breathitt County is $34,808, which ranks #3,125 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 53.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 33.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.3%.
The median home value in Breathitt County is $70,300, 75.1% below the national median. Renters in Breathitt County pay a median gross rent of $548 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Breathitt County, 15.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.1 min.
Breathitt County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 96.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (1.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.1%).
All data for Breathitt County, Kentucky comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.