Population 62,983 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Laurel County
Household size in Laurel County
| Period | Laurel County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.67 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.65 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.65 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Laurel County average 2.65 people, the same as the country as a whole. The typical household here is bigger than in Kentucky overall, where it has 2.51 people. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
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 Laurel County
| Period | Laurel County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.8 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.6 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.2 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.7 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.9 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
At 40.7, the median age in Laurel County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 37.8, as it has nationally.
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 Laurel County
| Period | Laurel County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.0% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Laurel County than nationally: 13.0%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.0 points, even as the national share fell.
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 Laurel County
Renters in Laurel County
| Period | Laurel County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.8% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.8% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.1% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.4% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Laurel County rent their homes (28.4%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About half of owners (51.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share is up 2.6 points from 2006–10, 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 Laurel County
| Period | Laurel County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.3% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Laurel County as nationally: 11.1%, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.9 points, 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 Laurel County
| Period | Laurel County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1987 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1988 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1991 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Laurel County has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1991, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1987 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the center has the oldest housing. Few Kentucky counties have newer homes: only eight of 120.
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 Laurel County
| Period | Laurel County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $557 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $619 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $671 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $832 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$275 | +$367 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Laurel County costs $832 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $275 a month since 2006–10, up 49%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.2% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the northeast.
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 Laurel County
Bachelor's degrees in Laurel County
| Period | Laurel County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.8% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.2% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Laurel County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.2%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.5 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the northeast.
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 Laurel County
| Period | Laurel County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 74.1% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.4% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.3% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.4% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.3 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Laurel County never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 10.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Laurel County
| Period | Laurel County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.9% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Laurel County runs below the national rate: 4.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 4.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Laurel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel County | 2.65 | 40.7 | 13.0% | 28.4% | 11.1% | 1991 | $832 | 17.2% | 84.4% | 4.0% |
| Knox County | 2.54 | 40.2 | 15.6% | 34.7% | 14.2% | 1985 | $703 | 14.1% | 76.8% | 8.0% |
| Clay County | 2.56 | 40.4 | 18.3% | 23.6% | 15.6% | 1991 | $786 | 16.5% | 74.6% | 8.4% |
| Pulaski County | 2.50 | 42.8 | 11.8% | 27.5% | 15.7% | 1985 | $840 | 18.3% | 86.0% | 5.0% |
| Leslie County | 2.32 | 41.8 | 10.4% | 14.5% | 13.0% | 1983 | $585 | 11.9% | 80.5% | 4.6% |
| Russell County | 2.41 | 41.6 | 15.3% | 29.2% | 19.0% | 1989 | $667 | 15.1% | 82.2% | 6.2% |
| Adair County | 2.51 | 40.7 | 8.5% | 22.8% | 16.6% | 1984 | $773 | 23.4% | 84.2% | 6.1% |
| Letcher County | 2.48 | 43.9 | 11.4% | 25.9% | 19.6% | 1976 | $732 | 12.8% | 82.1% | 5.6% |
| Norton City | 2.31 | 40.2 | 19.5% | 50.0% | 11.8% | 1973 | $573 | 14.0% | 94.3% | 4.1% |
| Wise County | 2.37 | 42.2 | 12.7% | 25.8% | 15.5% | 1979 | $802 | 15.4% | 80.2% | 8.5% |
| Metcalfe County | 2.56 | 42.4 | 9.6% | 22.3% | 14.3% | 1988 | $599 | 12.8% | 88.6% | 5.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Roane County, TN · Lewis and Clark County, MT · Liberty County, GA · Lincoln County, MO · Lincoln County, SD · Marquette County, MI · Mason County, WA · McCracken County, KY · Pulaski County, MO · Putnam County, WV
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 Laurel 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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