Harlan County, Kentucky
Among the top 13% of US counties for affordability.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade A, better than 87% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade F, better than 8% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 37% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade D, better than 13% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 50% of US counties
- top 2% for cost of living
- top 4% for monthly owner costs
- bottom 4% for unemployment
Harlan County is a county in Kentucky with about 27,000 residents. It grades A for affordability and F for weather. Standout strengths include cost of living, monthly owner costs, and monthly rent. It rates lower on walkability and unemployment.
Official websiteharlancountyclerk.com (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm, humid summers · Cold winters · Wet · Snowy
cold
cool
comf.
warm
hot
warm
comf.
cool
cold
69%49%clearovercast
Precipitation 5.0 in3.4 in
muggy 81%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$35k4th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$41kbetter than 98% of US counties
Home Value$71k1st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$625better than 91% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$949better than 96% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.97%better than 41% of US counties
Income Tax5.30%better than 41% of US counties
Sales Tax6.00%better than 84% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden9.25%better than 55% of US counties
Unemployment10.8%better than 4% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)36°F56th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)76°F42nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation53.7 in83rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall21.5 inbetter than 38% of US counties
Sunny Days211 daysbetter than 23% of US counties
Summer Humidity68°Fbetter than 34% of US counties
Comfortable Days79 daysbetter than 49% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk65.7better than 33% of US counties
School Quality56.4better than 53% of US counties
Violent Crime981/100kbetter than 36% of US counties
Property Crime1000/100kbetter than 46% of US counties
Community
Population26,58951st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age41.248th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.1013th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9310th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+7294th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)94.4%92nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)2.1%51st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)0.3%1st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.5%40th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)2.8%34th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time23 minbetter than 57% of US counties
Walkability4.3/20better than 6% of US counties
Airport Distance167 mibetter than 20% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access79.5%better than 30% of US counties
Amenities Nearby3.38better than 57% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 68% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Harlan County an affordable place to live?
- Harlan County is relatively affordable. Its cost-of-living index is $41k, better than 98% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Harlan County?
- The median home value in Harlan County is $71k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Harlan County?
- Median household income in Harlan County is $35k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Harlan County?
- Median gross rent in Harlan County is $625 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Harlan County safe?
- Harlan County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 981/100k (better than 36%). Property crime is 1000/100k.
- What is the weather like in Harlan County?
- Harlan County averages 76°F in July and 36°F in January, with 53.7 in of annual precipitation and about 211 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Harlan County?
- Public-school quality in Harlan County is about average, scoring better than 53% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Harlan County?
- The average one-way commute in Harlan County is 23 min.
Other counties in Kentucky
Explore Kentucky
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)