Whitley County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Whitley County has a population of 36,920 residents and a median age of 35.2 years, making it the #1,287 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 26.3%. The median home value is $131,800, and the median household income is $44,615, which is 41% below the national median.
Demographics
Whitley County has a population of 36,920, making it the #1,287 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.2 years, which is 9.5% below 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 Whitley County is $44,615, ranking #2,978 out of 3,222 counties — 40.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 26.3% and unemployment stands at 5.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Whitley County is $131,800 (-53.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $798/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Whitley County, 20.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 37.9% below the national average, ranking #1,835 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Whitley County is 68.5 years. 24.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
22.0% of adults in Whitley County smoke , 41.4% are obese , and 14.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 60.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Whitley County is 10.2 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 23.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.2 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
33.3% of children in Whitley County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 42.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Whitley County is 57.1%. The mean commute time is 26.8 min, which is 3.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Whitley County voted Republican with a margin of 69.4%. The vote was 14.8% Dem / 84.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Whitley County, Kentucky
Whitley County, Kentucky has a total population of 36,920, making it the 1,287th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Whitley County is 35.2 years, which is 9.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Whitley County is $44,615, which ranks #2,978 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 40.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 26.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.3%.
The median home value in Whitley County is $131,800, 53.2% below the national median. Renters in Whitley County pay a median gross rent of $798 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Whitley County, 20.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 37.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.8 min.
Whitley County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
All data for Whitley 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.