The 10 Worst Small Towns In Kentucky For 2024

Most Americans have never been to small town Kentucky. However, as the Kentuckian who live there know, small town Kentucky is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Kentucky has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Bluegrass State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 159 of Kentucky’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Kentucky where you’d never want to live:

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Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

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These are the worst small towns in Kentucky for 2024:

1. Prestonsburg
2. Clay City
3. Pine Knot
4. Cumberland
5. Jenkins
6. Guthrie
7. Morgantown
8. Liberty
9. Cloverport
10. Hickman

So what is the worst small town to call home in Kentucky for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Prestonsburg is the worst small town to live in Kentucky.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Prestonsburg home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Kentucky or the worst places to live in Kentucky.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Kentucky For 2024

1. Prestonsburg

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,868
Median Home Value: $111,057
Median Income: $27,099
Unemployment Rate: 14.8%

2. Clay City

Source: Public Domain

Overall SnackAbility

/10

Population: 1,567
Median Home Value: $115,738
Median Income: $22,929
Unemployment Rate: 11.9%

3. Pine Knot

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 1,483
Median Home Value: $92,563
Median Income: $1,000
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%

4. Cumberland

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 2,390
Median Home Value: $48,817
Median Income: $32,716
Unemployment Rate: 42.5%

5. Jenkins

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 1,862
Median Home Value: $61,845
Median Income: $26,500
Unemployment Rate: 17.0%

6. Guthrie

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,414
Median Home Value: $159,376
Median Income: $34,118
Unemployment Rate: 15.9%

7. Morgantown

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,734
Median Home Value: $133,317
Median Income: $29,103
Unemployment Rate: 11.7%

8. Liberty

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,164
Median Home Value: $114,886
Median Income: $28,347
Unemployment Rate: 18.4%

9. Cloverport

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,185
Median Home Value: $91,147
Median Income: $33,250
Unemployment Rate: 18.1%

10. Hickman

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,884
Median Home Value: $54,875
Median Income: $31,000
Unemployment Rate: 4.9%

Next 10 Towns

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Kentucky is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in Kentucky, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

• Population Density (The lower, the worse)
• Highest Unemployment Rates
• Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
• Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
• Education (Number of high school dropouts)
• High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 159 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Kentucky.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Kentucky

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Bluegrass State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The worst small towns in Kentucky are Prestonsburg, Clay City, Pine Knot, Cumberland, Jenkins, Guthrie, Morgantown, Liberty, Cloverport, and Hickman.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Kentucky, according to science:

1. Beechwood Village (Pop. 1,302)
2. Indian Hills (Pop. 2,891)
3. Northfield (Pop. 1,106)

For more Kentucky reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In Kentucky

Rank	Town	Population	Unemployment Rate	Home Value	Median Income
1	Prestonsburg	3,868	14.8%	$111,057	$27,099
2	Clay City	1,567	11.9%	$115,738	$22,929
3	Pine Knot	1,483	3.9%	$92,563	$1,000
4	Cumberland	2,390	42.5%	$48,817	$32,716
5	Jenkins	1,862	17.0%	$61,845	$26,500
6	Guthrie	1,414	15.9%	$159,376	$34,118
7	Morgantown	2,734	11.7%	$133,317	$29,103
8	Liberty	2,164	18.4%	$114,886	$28,347
9	Cloverport	1,185	18.1%	$91,147	$33,250
10	Hickman	1,884	4.9%	$54,875	$31,000
11	Brownsville	1,050	7.6%	$174,983	$34,150
12	Harlan	1,908	11.8%	$82,436	$24,936
13	Brodhead	1,361	12.1%	$137,554	$28,750
14	Beattyville	1,956	11.4%	$112,642	$23,423
15	Clinton	1,173	13.3%	$118,883	$31,100
16	Barbourville	3,195	23.7%	$121,994	$21,287
17	Vanceburg	1,303	7.3%	$62,959	$25,089
18	Cave City	2,707	9.2%	$170,844	$37,431
19	Burkesville	1,423	2.4%	$107,941	$26,563
20	Russell Springs	2,713	8.1%	$139,665	$34,219
21	Edmonton	1,898	10.1%	$139,109	$47,841
22	Salyersville	1,880	8.1%	$111,006	$29,280
23	Earlington	1,219	9.0%	$48,845	$38,971
24	Pineville	1,796	11.7%	$71,685	$27,159
25	Irvine	2,785	11.6%	$89,291	$31,359
26	Whitesburg	2,153	17.6%	$86,993	$32,663
27	Breckinridge Center	1,770	7.8%	$0	$66,023
28	Tompkinsville	2,699	7.8%	$120,412	$36,436
29	Lewisburg	1,084	9.5%	$176,346	$35,469
30	Munfordville	1,746	4.5%	$157,726	$26,953
31	Elkhorn City	1,013	14.7%	$70,167	$43,819
32	Dawson Springs	2,026	11.4%	$99,960	$34,615
33	Flemingsburg	2,955	16.6%	$155,896	$37,857
34	Stearns	1,224	2.6%	$88,566	$1,000
35	Dry Ridge	2,227	5.8%	$243,119	$46,000
36	Jamestown	2,343	8.1%	$143,554	$29,438
37	Grayson	3,841	13.4%	$137,469	$27,045
38	Providence	2,883	8.2%	$77,062	$49,954
39	Dixon	1,134	15.4%	$145,725	$44,444
40	Paintsville	4,277	7.6%	$123,284	$27,601
41	Burnside	1,081	2.6%	$84,039	$52,847
42	Fulton	2,693	2.8%	$93,681	$33,090
43	Manchester	2,195	3.6%	$97,138	$30,474
44	Whitley City	1,148	0.0%	$84,226	$22,702
45	Horse Cave	2,353	7.8%	$139,385	$46,971
46	Jackson	2,286	9.6%	$72,263	$33,333
47	Camargo	1,018	6.9%	$173,743	$42,262
48	Mount Vernon	2,342	3.7%	$119,670	$34,550
49	Albany	2,264	5.6%	$134,458	$39,167
50	Clay	1,079	11.4%	$107,264	$36,354
51	Wurtland	1,133	5.7%	$90,801	$43,654
52	Junction City	2,166	9.8%	$155,825	$38,646
53	Farley	4,559	3.9%	$93,150	$45,257
54	Irvington	1,387	11.4%	$128,670	$48,714
55	Beaver Dam	3,535	8.8%	$135,306	$48,991
56	Clarkson	1,218	5.4%	$186,347	$21,250
57	Catlettsburg	1,782	10.7%	$120,867	$33,047
58	Greensburg	2,307	18.2%	$137,991	$38,571
59	Greenup	1,068	7.4%	$100,450	$43,036
60	South Shore	1,375	27.4%	$108,194	$27,199
61	Owingsville	1,960	5.2%	$154,995	$38,255
62	Marion	2,905	2.5%	$91,034	$38,023
63	Annville	1,189	0.0%	$105,018	$56,979
64	Falmouth	2,548	6.5%	$165,522	$38,021
65	Stanton	3,214	6.0%	$137,688	$29,097
66	Lebanon Junction	2,090	11.7%	$187,108	$49,509
67	Coal Run Village	1,519	3.0%	$119,590	$43,315
68	Auburn	1,645	8.8%	$207,108	$40,259
69	Sebree	1,798	0.2%	$132,728	$60,000
70	Lancaster	3,943	10.9%	$217,697	$45,610
71	Columbia	4,811	5.8%	$130,093	$45,163
72	Jeffersonville	1,833	8.8%	$169,423	$52,031
73	Cadiz	2,618	2.2%	$73,326	$39,439
74	Owenton	1,640	8.9%	$134,567	$45,766
75	Scottsville	4,332	16.2%	$169,245	$34,835
76	Hawesville	1,043	7.0%	$176,931	$54,423
77	West Point	1,073	3.5%	$95,036	$34,769
78	White Plains	1,009	3.2%	$129,033	$41,125
79	Carrollton	3,889	8.0%	$145,181	$48,333
80	Calvert City	2,524	3.8%	$140,552	$39,974
81	Elkton	1,953	6.1%	$165,200	$39,922
82	North Corbin	1,955	9.9%	$110,442	$59,306
83	Eddyville	2,783	2.5%	$222,932	$37,475
84	Warsaw	2,180	4.4%	$200,565	$52,240
85	Ledbetter	1,815	9.6%	$146,156	$60,667
86	Eminence	2,705	6.6%	$192,316	$48,793
87	Silver Grove	1,335	5.4%	$156,350	$43,975
88	West Liberty	3,247	3.1%	$106,992	$47,083
89	Hardinsburg	2,476	6.9%	$156,524	$52,684
90	Muldraugh	1,221	8.4%	$124,730	$49,375
91	Augusta	1,599	12.0%	$154,527	$50,135
92	Sturgis	1,693	3.7%	$102,097	$39,148
93	Raceland	2,015	7.2%	$123,558	$60,398
94	Louisa	2,652	7.9%	$148,644	$49,583
95	Westwood	4,581	3.1%	$94,173	$66,125
96	West Buechel	1,936	4.8%	$170,683	$48,750
97	Campbellsburg	1,045	9.1%	$202,752	$53,512
98	Worthington	1,722	2.8%	$115,062	$60,972
99	Pleasureville	1,223	2.5%	$152,802	$47,436
100	Verona	1,146	3.4%	$286,365	$68,398