Letcher County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Letcher County has a population of 20,808 residents and a median age of 43.5 years, making it the #1,833 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 24.4%. The median home value is $67,400, and the median household income is $41,793, which is 44% below the national median.
Demographics
Letcher County has a population of 20,808, making it the #1,833 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% 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 Letcher County is $41,793, ranking #3,038 out of 3,222 counties — 44.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 24.4% and unemployment stands at 6.2%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Letcher County is $67,400 (-76.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $669/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Letcher County, 12.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 63.0% below the national average, ranking #3,071 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Letcher County is 67.7 years. 24.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
21.2% of adults in Letcher County smoke , 40.6% are obese , and 13.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 58.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Letcher County is 7.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 28.3 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
28.9% of children in Letcher County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 31.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Letcher County is 53.3%. The mean commute time is 29.4 min, which is 6.6% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Letcher County voted Republican with a margin of 63.9%. The vote was 17.3% Dem / 81.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Letcher County, Kentucky
Letcher County, Kentucky has a total population of 20,808, making it the 1,833rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Letcher County is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Letcher County is $41,793, which ranks #3,038 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 44.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 24.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.2%.
The median home value in Letcher County is $67,400, 76.1% below the national median. Renters in Letcher County pay a median gross rent of $669 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Letcher County, 12.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 63.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.4 min.
Letcher 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 (1.5%).
All data for Letcher 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.