Population 14,035 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Estill County
Household size in Estill County
| Period | Estill County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.59 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.34 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.25 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Estill County is a place of small households, averaging 2.34 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.59 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only eight of Kentucky's 120 counties have smaller households.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Estill County
| Period | Estill County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.1 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.9 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.6 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.5 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.6, Estill County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 40.1 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Of Kentucky's 120 counties, only eight are older.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Estill County
| Period | Estill County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.0% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Estill County than nationally: 14.0%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 3.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Estill County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Kentucky counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Estill County
Renters in Estill County
| Period | Estill County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.7% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.9% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.6% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Estill County rent their homes (29.6%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 56.4% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 3.9 points, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Estill County
| Period | Estill County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.9% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.2% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.6% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 13.6% of the housing in Estill County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has fallen 4.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Estill County
| Period | Estill County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Estill County are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1974 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the west, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Estill County
| Period | Estill County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $495 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $517 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $573 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $704 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$210 | +$367 | +$606 |
Rent in Estill County runs $704 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $210 a month since 2006–10, up 42%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Estill County
Bachelor's degrees in Estill County
| Period | Estill County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Estill County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 12.2%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.7 points, mirroring the country. Only 11 of Kentucky's 120 counties have a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Estill County
| Period | Estill County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.4% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 73.8% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 75.8% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.5% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.0 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in five adults in Estill County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 10.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Few Kentucky counties have a lower share of high school graduates: only ten of 120.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Estill County
| Period | Estill County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Estill County than nationally: unemployment was 7.2%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.6 points, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Estill County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estill County | 2.34 | 44.6 | 14.0% | 29.6% | 13.6% | 1980 | $704 | 12.2% | 78.5% | 7.2% |
| Powell County | 2.65 | 39.0 | 14.7% | 31.8% | 15.4% | 1985 | $837 | 13.3% | 81.7% | 5.4% |
| Madison County | 2.48 | 36.8 | 10.7% | 38.0% | 9.2% | 1993 | $905 | 33.4% | 91.4% | 4.3% |
| Wolfe County | 2.42 | 42.3 | 10.8% | 26.4% | 11.6% | 1990 | $585 | 9.6% | 70.1% | 14.2% |
| Garrard County | 2.64 | 42.1 | 9.6% | 20.1% | 8.2% | 1985 | $834 | 18.5% | 85.3% | 5.6% |
| Jessamine County | 2.74 | 38.2 | 11.2% | 33.3% | 7.8% | 1993 | $1,239 | 33.7% | 90.7% | 3.0% |
| Boyle County | 2.31 | 40.7 | 11.5% | 32.0% | 8.9% | 1977 | $771 | 25.6% | 91.4% | 6.3% |
| Mercer County | 2.53 | 42.6 | 7.4% | 24.1% | 13.1% | 1981 | $830 | 24.8% | 92.0% | 4.5% |
| Magoffin County | 2.40 | 42.7 | 13.8% | 24.6% | 13.8% | 1986 | $765 | 13.5% | 72.3% | 9.4% |
| Johnson County | 2.43 | 42.2 | 11.1% | 31.7% | 15.5% | 1983 | $744 | 17.0% | 81.6% | 4.5% |
| Washington County | 2.47 | 41.5 | 11.2% | 22.4% | 8.0% | 1982 | $776 | 19.3% | 89.2% | 3.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Craig County, OK · Sevier County, UT · Seminole County, OK · Scott County, VA · Scott County, TN · Fayette County, IN · Fayette County, IL · Dukes County, MA · Cross County, AR · Crawford County, IA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Estill County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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