Wolfe County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21237 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Wolfe County has a population of 6,443 residents and a median age of 42.3 years, making it the #2,778 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 37.7%. The median home value is $75,800, and the median household income is $30,417, which is 60% below the national median.

6,443
Population
#2,778 of 3,222
$30,417
Median Income
-59.5% #3,148 of 3,222
42.3 years
Median Age
+8.7% #1,410 of 3,222
37.7%
Poverty Rate
+199.5% #3,149 of 3,222

Demographics

Wolfe County has a population of 6,443, making it the #2,778 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

98.4%
Native Born
1.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Wolfe County is $30,417, ranking #3,148 out of 3,222 counties — 59.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 37.7% and unemployment stands at 13.1%.

Income#3,148
$30,417
-59.5%
vs nation
2th percentile
Per Capita#3,150
$17,627
-57.3%
vs nation
2th percentile
Poverty#3,149
37.7%
+199.5%
vs nation
2th percentile
Unemployment#3,174
13.1%
+147.7%
vs nation
1th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Wolfe County is $75,800 (-73.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $501/mo and the homeownership rate is 73.6%.

Home Value#3,185
$75,800
-73.1%
vs nation
1th percentile
Rent#3,170
$501
-56.9%
vs nation
1th percentile
Homeownership#1,786
73.6%
+14.2%
vs nation
45th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Wolfe County, 8.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 74.2% below the national average, ranking #3,206 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
8.7% −74.2% vs nation
Rank #3,206 of 3,222
0th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Wolfe County is 65.5 years. 35.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#3,040
65.5
-12.9%
vs nation
1th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,129
35.5%
+81.5%
vs nation
1th percentile
Diabetes#3,056
16.1%
+44.6%
vs nation
3th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,086
45.4%
+21.7%
vs nation
2th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,832
6.4
+14.1%
vs nation
10th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,142
6.9
+55.5%
vs nation
0th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,029
7.6%
-27.8%
vs nation
67th percentile
Physical Inactivity#3,097
38.3%
+45.2%
vs nation
2th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,141
27.3%
+89.5%
vs nation
0th percentile

Substance Use

31.0% of adults in Wolfe County smoke , 44.7% are obese , and 12.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 99.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,135
31.0%
+72.6%
vs nation
0th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,993
44.7%
+17.9%
vs nation
5th percentile
Excessive Drinking#15
12.5%
-37.1%
vs nation
100th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2,091
99.9
+209.1%
vs nation
1th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 35.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 41.0 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,468
35.9
+82.1%
vs nation
4th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,280
30.7
+71.6%
vs nation
8th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,721
41.0
+102.5%
vs nation
4th percentile

Families & Children

39.5% of children in Wolfe County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 39.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,801
39.4
+80.2%
vs nation
7th percentile
Child Poverty#3,079
39.5%
+108.0%
vs nation
2th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Wolfe County is 54.1%. The mean commute time is 35.6 min, which is 29.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
54.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
35.6 min +29.1% vs nation
Rank #240 of 3,222
93th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Wolfe County voted Republican with a margin of 50.6%. The vote was 23.6% Dem / 74.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 8.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +50.6%
23.6% 74.2%
Dem 2,915 votes Rep
2020 REP +42.2%
28.2% 70.4%
Dem 2,979 votes Rep
2016 REP +39.9%
28.6% 68.5%
Dem 2,634 votes Rep
2012 REP +22.2%
38.1% 60.3%
Dem 2,559 votes Rep
2008 DEM +2.9%
50.3% 47.4%
Dem 2,968 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Wolfe County, Kentucky

Wolfe County, Kentucky has a total population of 6,443, making it the 2,778th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wolfe County is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Wolfe County is $30,417, which ranks #3,148 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 59.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 37.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 13.1%.

The median home value in Wolfe County is $75,800, 73.1% below the national median. Renters in Wolfe County pay a median gross rent of $501 per month. The homeownership rate is 73.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Wolfe County, 8.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 74.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 97.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.6 min.

Wolfe County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 95.1% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.6%).

All data for Wolfe 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.