Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety63#5,793/15,637
Economy7#14,599/15,631
Housing93#1,001/14,977
Health17#13,011/15,609
Healthcare12#13,786/15,650
Environment15#13,138/15,453
Education38#9,725/15,649
Infrastructure13#13,577/15,650
Community29#11,105/15,651
Leisure & amenities12#13,731/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Central City, Kentucky ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Muhlenberg County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Social associations · high20.9 /10k
99/100Kentucky 10.3 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMuhlenberg County value
Pharmacies · high3.3 /10k
97/100Kentucky 2.4 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMuhlenberg County value
Property crime rate · low300 /100k
97/100Kentucky 1,262 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationMuhlenberg County value
Rent-burdened households · low30.8%
94/100Kentucky 45.4%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Reading scores · high3.32
89/100Kentucky 3.05United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMuhlenberg County value
Rent as share of income · low19.6%
86/100Kentucky 28.1%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071

Weaknesses

Bachelor's degree or higher · low5.7%
2/100Kentucky 27.5%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Primary care shortage · high19.0
3/100Kentucky 10.2United States 6.2Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationMuhlenberg County value
Child poverty rate · high61.8%
4/100Kentucky 18.9%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low1.3 /10k
4/100Kentucky 4.4 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMuhlenberg County value
Flu vaccinations · low28.0%
5/100Kentucky 43.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMuhlenberg County value
Dentists · low26 /100k
8/100Kentucky 67 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMuhlenberg County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Child poverty rateWorsening
17.8% (2015-2019) → 61.8% (2020-2024)
+44 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
74.2% (2015-2019) → 87.9% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
16.7% (2015-2019) → 5.7% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
21.0% (2015-2019) → 30.8% (2020-2024)
+9.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Poverty rateWorsening
17.6% (2015-2019) → 25.6% (2020-2024)
+8 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
High school diploma or higherImproving
79.5% (2015-2019) → 83.6% (2020-2024)
+4.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Central City, Kentucky improved on 1 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+14 points74.2% → 87.9%

Declined1

Bachelor's+−11 points16.7% → 5.7%

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Central City, Kentucky between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.9 min2015-2019	24.4 min2020-2024	+3.5 min	Within the margin of error	17%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.7%2015-2019	5.7%2020-2024	−11 points	Declined	1%
Broadband subscriptions	74.2%2015-2019	87.9%2020-2024	+14 points	Improved	75%
Effective property tax rate	0.75%2015-2019	0.63%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	42%
High school diploma or higher	79.5%2015-2019	83.6%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Within the margin of error	77%
Home price to income ratio	3.1×2015-2019	2.8×2020-2024	−0.2×	Within the margin of error	87%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4782015-2019	0.4392020-2024	−0.039	Within the margin of error	79%
Median household income	$42,4002015-2019	$50,8852020-2024	+20%	Within the margin of error	33%
Poverty rate	17.6%2015-2019	25.6%2020-2024	+8 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	22.8%2015-2019	19.6%2020-2024	−3.2 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Rent-burdened households	21.0%2015-2019	30.8%2020-2024	+9.7 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.0%2015-2019	10.9%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	60%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Central City, Kentucky five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Central City, Kentucky in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Central City, Kentucky itself moved +0.4 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

5,707 residents (±16)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 men (+6.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

5,707 residents (±16)

Central City, Kentucky
Kentucky share

White87%4,945
Black3.9%222
Hispanic or Latino3.4%†193
Asian0.4%†22
American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%†19
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%†2
Other or two or more races5.3%†304

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

3,937 residents (±273)

Central City, Kentucky
Kentucky share

No high school diploma16%644
High school or GED38%1,509
Some college28%†1,119
Associate degree11%†441
Bachelor's degree2.3%†91
Graduate degree3.4%†133

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Some college (+12.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

2,089 households (±199)

Central City, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under $25k27%†572
$25k–50k20%†412
$50k–75k25%†523
$75k–100k6.0%†126
$100k–150k14%†295
$150k–200k2.6%†55
$200k or more5.1%†106

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−15.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

2,089 households (±199)

Central City, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Own59%1,240
Rent41%849

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−10.8 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

793 households (±206)

Central City, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under $75059%†467
$750–1,00032%†253
$1,000–1,5005.9%†

Home values

1,240 homes (±233)

Central City, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under $150k53%†662
$150k–250k34%†421
$250k–400k7.2%†89

Age of homes

2,312 homes (±203)

Central City, Kentucky
Kentucky share

2010 or later5.6%†129
2000–200910%†239
1980–199922%†504

Size of homes

2,312 homes (±203)

Central City, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Studio2.3%†54
1 bedroom14%†327
2 bedrooms17%†401

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

2,206 workers (±289)

Central City, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Drive alone93%2,045
Carpool4.1%†90
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.2%†49
Bike0.0%0
Work from home1.0%†22
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

2,184 workers (±287)

Central City, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under 15 min32%†707
15–29 min41%†905
30–44 min7.7%†169

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Muhlenberg County, the county holding most of Central City's residents.

Muhlenberg County has 537 employer establishments, 176 for every 10,000 residents (0.71× the US rate of 248; 0.85× Kentucky's), with 6,372 paid employees at an average annual pay of $40,675. The Census Bureau also counts 1,705 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 537; 1,705 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 176; US 248 · Kentucky 207
Paid employees: 6,372
Average annual pay: $40,675; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Muhlenberg County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Religious organizations	60	19.6	3.54×More than typical	167	$13,551	—
Ambulatory health care services	47	15.4	0.74×Fewer than typical	551	$54,534	47
Restaurants and other eating places	47	15.4	0.84×About typical	717	$16,519	—
Specialty trade contractors	23	7.5	0.49×Fewer than typical	108	$30,454	212
Full-service restaurants	22	7.2	0.94×About typical	235	$16,821	—
Limited-service restaurants	21	6.9	0.86×About typical	450	$16,156	—
Gasoline stations	19	6.2	1.92×More than typical	98	$27,245	3
Truck transportation	16	5.2	1.04×About typical	178	$68,933	57
Automotive repair and maintenance	13	4.3	0.84×About typical	62	$35,387	30
General merchandise stores	13	4.3	2.41×More than typical	384	$27,557	18
Banks and credit unions	11	3.6	1.11×About typical	84	$56,024	—
Building equipment contractors	11	3.6	0.60×Fewer than typical	38	$34,684	69

Rank places for an industry Open Muhlenberg County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 30,553 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Central City, Kentucky: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

178.5FY2017
261FY2018
272.7FY2019
285FY2020
239FY2021
195.2FY2022

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Central City, Kentucky, so they do not add up across cities.

Central City, Kentucky's figures are part of those of Muhlenberg County, KY ($13M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Central City is mostly in Muhlenberg County.

See federal money in Muhlenberg County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Central City, Kentucky is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Brett GuthrieR-KY-2 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 0.6%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Muhlenberg County25100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Muhlenberg County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2113978