Harlan County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Harlan County has a population of 25,772 residents and a median age of 40.9 years, making it the #1,624 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 27.4%. The median home value is $73,700, and the median household income is $41,693, which is 45% below the national median.
Demographics
Harlan County has a population of 25,772, making it the #1,624 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.9 years, which is 5.1% 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 Harlan County is $41,693, ranking #3,044 out of 3,222 counties — 44.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 27.4% and unemployment stands at 9.5%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Harlan County is $73,700 (-73.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $678/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Harlan County, 13.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 61.3% below the national average, ranking #3,020 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Harlan County is 65.7 years. 31.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
27.8% of adults in Harlan County smoke , 44.7% are obese , and 13.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 59.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Harlan County is 5.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 17.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 27.2 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
35.1% of children in Harlan County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 39.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Harlan County is 54.3%. The mean commute time is 26.2 min, which is 5.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Harlan County voted Republican with a margin of 76.2%. The vote was 11.5% Dem / 87.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Harlan County, Kentucky
Harlan County, Kentucky has a total population of 25,772, making it the 1,624th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Harlan County is 40.9 years, which is 5.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Harlan County is $41,693, which ranks #3,044 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 44.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 27.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.5%.
The median home value in Harlan County is $73,700, 73.9% below the national median. Renters in Harlan County pay a median gross rent of $678 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Harlan County, 13.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 61.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.2 min.
Harlan County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.9% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (1.3%).
All data for Harlan 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.