Most Dangerous & Safest Counties in Kentucky

Kentucky has 46 counties with crime data. The county with the highest homicide rate is Jefferson County at 17.5 per 100K , while the safest is Boone County at 1.9 per 100K .

11 of 46 counties (24%) have a homicide rate above the national average of 8 per 100K. All rates are per 100,000 residents and come from County Health Rankings, which compiles data from the CDC, FBI, and other federal sources.

Metric

Most Dangerous Counties in Kentucky

Top 10 counties ranked by homicide rate.

# County Homicides
1 Jefferson County 17.5 per 100K +119.2%
2 Jackson County 12.9 per 100K +61.5%
3 Powell County 11.5 per 100K +44.0%
4 Christian County 10.6 per 100K +32.0%
5 Whitley County 10.2 per 100K +27.4%
6 Clay County 9.9 per 100K +24.2%
7 Perry County 9.7 per 100K +20.6%
8 Johnson County 9.6 per 100K +19.5%
9 Fayette County 9.4 per 100K +17.5%
10 Allen County 8.8 per 100K +10.3%

Safest Counties in Kentucky

Bottom 10 counties ranked by homicide rate.

# County Homicides
46 Boone County 1.9 per 100K -76.0%
45 Campbell County 2.1 per 100K -73.1%
44 Madison County 2.6 per 100K -67.4%
43 Hopkins County 3.1 per 100K -60.7%
42 Kenton County 3.2 per 100K -59.5%
41 Boyd County 3.9 per 100K -51.1%
40 Scott County 4.0 per 100K -49.8%
39 Pulaski County 4.2 per 100K -47.8%
38 Bullitt County 4.2 per 100K -47.5%
37 Clark County 4.4 per 100K -45.3%

All 46 Counties Ranked

Every county in Kentucky ranked by homicide rate. Click any county for its full profile.

# County Homicides
1 Jefferson County 17.5 per 100K +119.2%
2 Jackson County 12.9 per 100K +61.5%
3 Powell County 11.5 per 100K +44.0%
4 Christian County 10.6 per 100K +32.0%
5 Whitley County 10.2 per 100K +27.4%
6 Clay County 9.9 per 100K +24.2%
7 Perry County 9.7 per 100K +20.6%
8 Johnson County 9.6 per 100K +19.5%
9 Fayette County 9.4 per 100K +17.5%
10 Allen County 8.8 per 100K +10.3%
11 Breckinridge County 8.4 per 100K +4.9%
12 Floyd County 8.0 per 100K +0.0%
13 Franklin County 7.8 per 100K -2.0%
14 Ohio County 7.8 per 100K -3.1%
15 Marion County 7.4 per 100K -7.9%
16 Graves County 7.3 per 100K -8.3%
17 Letcher County 7.2 per 100K -9.5%
18 Laurel County 6.8 per 100K -15.4%
19 Lincoln County 6.4 per 100K -19.8%
20 Taylor County 6.2 per 100K -22.1%
21 Warren County 5.8 per 100K -27.4%
22 Hardin County 5.7 per 100K -28.7%
23 Harlan County 5.4 per 100K -32.0%
24 Grayson County 5.4 per 100K -32.4%
25 McCracken County 5.4 per 100K -32.4%
26 Bell County 5.3 per 100K -34.1%
27 Knox County 5.1 per 100K -36.4%
28 Daviess County 5.1 per 100K -36.8%
29 Meade County 5.0 per 100K -37.5%
30 Nelson County 4.9 per 100K -38.4%
31 Jessamine County 4.8 per 100K -40.1%
32 Henderson County 4.8 per 100K -40.6%
33 Pike County 4.7 per 100K -41.6%
34 Muhlenberg County 4.6 per 100K -42.4%
35 Calloway County 4.4 per 100K -44.5%
36 Shelby County 4.4 per 100K -44.6%
37 Clark County 4.4 per 100K -45.3%
38 Bullitt County 4.2 per 100K -47.5%
39 Pulaski County 4.2 per 100K -47.8%
40 Scott County 4.0 per 100K -49.8%
41 Boyd County 3.9 per 100K -51.1%
42 Kenton County 3.2 per 100K -59.5%
43 Hopkins County 3.1 per 100K -60.7%
44 Madison County 2.6 per 100K -67.4%
45 Campbell County 2.1 per 100K -73.1%
46 Boone County 1.9 per 100K -76.0%

About This Data

All figures are estimates from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CDC, FBI, NCHS), published by the U.S. Census Bureau. Values are subject to sampling variability and margin of error.

Rankings are within Kentucky only and may differ from national rankings. For more information, see our methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most dangerous county in Kentucky?
The county with the highest homicide rate in Kentucky is Jefferson County, at 17.5 per 100,000 residents. This is 119% above the national rate of 8 per 100K.
What is the safest county in Kentucky?
The county with the lowest homicide rate in Kentucky is Boone County, at 1.9 per 100,000 residents.
How does Kentucky's crime rate compare to the national average?
11 of 46 counties in Kentucky (24%) have a homicide rate above the national average of 8 per 100,000 residents.
Which county in Kentucky has the most firearm fatalities?
Owsley County has the highest firearm fatality rate in Kentucky at 45.2 per 100,000 residents.
Which county in Kentucky has the most drug overdose deaths?
Estill County has the highest drug overdose death rate in Kentucky at 123.1 per 100,000 residents.