Estill County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21065 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Estill County has a population of 14,035 residents and a median age of 44.4 years, making it the #2,223 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.7%. The median home value is $119,500, and the median household income is $46,051, which is 39% below the national median.

14,035
Population
#2,223 of 3,222
$46,051
Median Income
-38.7% #2,931 of 3,222
44.4 years
Median Age
+14.1% #849 of 3,222
20.7%
Poverty Rate
+64.6% #2,737 of 3,222

Demographics

Estill County has a population of 14,035, making it the #2,223 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.4 years, which is 14.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.1%
Native Born
1.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Estill County is $46,051, ranking #2,931 out of 3,222 counties — 38.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.7% and unemployment stands at 7.0%.

Income#2,931
$46,051
-38.7%
vs nation
9th percentile
Per Capita#2,951
$25,226
-38.9%
vs nation
8th percentile
Poverty#2,737
20.7%
+64.6%
vs nation
15th percentile
Unemployment#2,806
7.0%
+32.5%
vs nation
13th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Estill County is $119,500 (-57.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $711/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.4%.

Home Value#2,680
$119,500
-57.6%
vs nation
17th percentile
Rent#2,694
$711
-38.9%
vs nation
16th percentile
Homeownership#2,247
70.4%
+9.3%
vs nation
30th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Estill County, 12.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 63.8% below the national average, ranking #3,091 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
12.2% −63.8% vs nation
Rank #3,091 of 3,222
4th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Estill County is 69.5 years. 27.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,916
69.5
-7.6%
vs nation
5th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,942
27.4%
+40.1%
vs nation
6th percentile
Diabetes#2,577
13.2%
+18.6%
vs nation
18th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,790
42.1%
+12.8%
vs nation
11th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,994
5.8
+3.5%
vs nation
37th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,019
5.7
+27.6%
vs nation
4th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,139
7.8%
-25.0%
vs nation
64th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,586
31.2%
+18.3%
vs nation
18th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,037
21.2%
+47.2%
vs nation
3th percentile

Substance Use

25.1% of adults in Estill County smoke , 42.2% are obese , and 14.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 123.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,016
25.1%
+39.8%
vs nation
4th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,662
42.2%
+11.3%
vs nation
15th percentile
Excessive Drinking#139
14.8%
-25.8%
vs nation
96th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2,108
123.1
+280.7%
vs nation
0th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 26.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.1 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,163
26.4
+33.8%
vs nation
15th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,098
25.5
+42.7%
vs nation
15th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#709
13.1
-35.3%
vs nation
75th percentile

Families & Children

26.2% of children in Estill County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 33.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,530
33.1
+51.5%
vs nation
16th percentile
Child Poverty#2,604
26.2%
+37.9%
vs nation
17th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Estill County is 58.9%. The mean commute time is 36.9 min, which is 33.6% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
58.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
36.9 min +33.6% vs nation
Rank #170 of 3,222
95th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Estill County voted Republican with a margin of 63.3%. The vote was 17.7% Dem / 81% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +63.3%
17.7% 81%
Dem 6,289 votes Rep
2020 REP +57.3%
20.7% 78%
Dem 6,540 votes Rep
2016 REP +56.5%
20% 76.5%
Dem 5,538 votes Rep
2012 REP +46.1%
26.2% 72.3%
Dem 5,184 votes Rep
2008 REP +40.0%
29.3% 69.3%
Dem 5,314 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Estill County, Kentucky

Estill County, Kentucky has a total population of 14,035, making it the 2,223rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Estill County is 44.4 years, which is 14.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Estill County is $46,051, which ranks #2,931 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 38.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.0%.

The median home value in Estill County is $119,500, 57.6% below the national median. Renters in Estill County pay a median gross rent of $711 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Estill County, 12.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 63.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 36.9 min.

Estill County is a community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 96.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.0%).

All data for Estill 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.