Leslie County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21131 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Leslie County has a population of 10,079 residents and a median age of 42.3 years, making it the #2,476 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 30.3%. The median home value is $69,000, and the median household income is $35,934, which is 52% below the national median.

10,079
Population
#2,476 of 3,222
$35,934
Median Income
-52.2% #3,116 of 3,222
42.3 years
Median Age
+8.7% #1,404 of 3,222
30.3%
Poverty Rate
+140.3% #3,088 of 3,222

Demographics

Leslie County has a population of 10,079, making it the #2,476 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.9%
Native Born
0.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Leslie County is $35,934, ranking #3,116 out of 3,222 counties — 52.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 30.3% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.

Income#3,116
$35,934
-52.2%
vs nation
3th percentile
Per Capita#3,025
$23,827
-42.3%
vs nation
6th percentile
Poverty#3,088
30.3%
+140.3%
vs nation
4th percentile
Unemployment#1,188
3.8%
-28.6%
vs nation
63th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Leslie County is $69,000 (-75.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $585/mo and the homeownership rate is 85.5%.

Home Value#3,198
$69,000
-75.5%
vs nation
1th percentile
Rent#3,073
$585
-49.7%
vs nation
4th percentile
Homeownership#100
85.5%
+32.8%
vs nation
97th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Leslie County, 11.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 66.0% below the national average, ranking #3,136 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
11.5% −66.0% vs nation
Rank #3,136 of 3,222
3th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Leslie County is 68.7 years. 26.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,964
68.7
-8.6%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,900
26.7%
+36.5%
vs nation
8th percentile
Diabetes#2,749
13.8%
+24.0%
vs nation
13th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,434
40.5%
+8.6%
vs nation
23th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,373
6.0
+7.1%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,102
6.0
+34.1%
vs nation
1th percentile
Uninsured Rate#255
5.4%
-48.8%
vs nation
92th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,675
31.8%
+20.5%
vs nation
15th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,128
24.2%
+68.0%
vs nation
1th percentile

Substance Use

23.3% of adults in Leslie County smoke , 43.7% are obese , and 14.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 43.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,874
23.3%
+29.8%
vs nation
9th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,896
43.7%
+15.3%
vs nation
8th percentile
Excessive Drinking#79
14.2%
-28.8%
vs nation
98th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,685
43.3
+34.0%
vs nation
20th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 22.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 38.1 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,833
22.3
+12.8%
vs nation
28th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,429
42.0
+134.9%
vs nation
2th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,667
38.1
+88.0%
vs nation
6th percentile

Families & Children

30.6% of children in Leslie County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 23.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,818
23.6
+8.3%
vs nation
39th percentile
Child Poverty#2,875
30.6%
+61.1%
vs nation
9th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Leslie County is 60.5%. The mean commute time is 40.8 min, which is 47.8% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
60.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
40.8 min +47.8% vs nation
Rank #50 of 3,222
98th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Leslie County voted Republican with a margin of 80.9%. The vote was 8.8% Dem / 89.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +80.9%
8.8% 89.7%
Dem 4,357 votes Rep
2020 REP +80.5%
9.3% 89.8%
Dem 4,813 votes Rep
2016 REP +80.6%
8.9% 89.5%
Dem 4,487 votes Rep
2012 REP +81.0%
8.7% 89.7%
Dem 4,950 votes Rep
2008 REP +63.9%
17.4% 81.3%
Dem 4,397 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Leslie County, Kentucky

Leslie County, Kentucky has a total population of 10,079, making it the 2,476th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Leslie County is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Leslie County is $35,934, which ranks #3,116 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 52.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 30.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.

The median home value in Leslie County is $69,000, 75.5% below the national median. Renters in Leslie County pay a median gross rent of $585 per month. The homeownership rate is 85.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Leslie County, 11.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 66.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 97.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 40.8 min.

Leslie County is a community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 96.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.1%).

All data for Leslie 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.