Scores by category

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

Safety50#7,755/15,637
Economy4#15,011/15,631
Housing67#5,004/14,977
Health0#15,569/15,609
Healthcare48#8,077/15,650
Environment63#5,758/15,453
Education62#5,956/15,649
Infrastructure37#9,906/15,650
Community1#15,505/15,651
Leisure & amenities15#13,356/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Hazard, Kentucky ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Perry 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

Pharmacies · high6.0 /10k
100/100Kentucky 2.4 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPerry County value
Mental health providers · high860 /100k
98/100Kentucky 329 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePerry County value
Property crime rate · low251 /100k
98/100Kentucky 1,262 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationPerry County value
Average commute time · low13.8 min
95/100Kentucky 24.0 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Reading scores · high3.37
93/100Kentucky 3.05United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePerry County value
Primary care physicians · high121 /100k
92/100Kentucky 63 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePerry County value

Weaknesses

Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.705
0/100Kentucky 0.477United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Life expectancy · low67.0 yrs
1/100Kentucky 73.6 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePerry County value
Suicide rate · high36.9 /100k
1/100Kentucky 18.0 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataPerry County value
Premature death · high19,541 /100k
1/100Kentucky 11,364 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePerry County value
Injury deaths · high182 /100k
1/100Kentucky 115 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePerry County value
Flu vaccinations · low21.0%
1/100Kentucky 43.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePerry County value

Trends

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

Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
33.1% (2015-2019) → 61.1% (2020-2024)
+28 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
21.7% (2015-2019) → 33.9% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.3% (2015-2019) → 90.3% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Poverty rateWorsening
22.0% (2015-2019) → 31.5% (2020-2024)
+9.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Income inequality (Gini index)Worsening
0.482 (2015-2019) → 0.705 (2020-2024)
+46%5 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483
Child poverty rateWorsening
25.9% (2015-2019) → 34.1% (2020-2024)
+8.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

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, Hazard, Kentucky improved on 1 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 10 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+12 points78.3% → 90.3%

Declined2

Inequality+0.2230.482 → 0.705
Rent / income+12 points21.7% → 33.9%

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Hazard, Kentucky between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	14.8 min2015-2019	13.8 min2020-2024	−1.0 min	Within the margin of error	60%
Bachelor's degree or higher	30.0%2015-2019	23.6%2020-2024	−6.4 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Broadband subscriptions	78.3%2015-2019	90.3%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	69%
Child poverty rate	25.9%2015-2019	34.1%2020-2024	+8.1 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Effective property tax rate	0.74%2015-2019	0.77%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	12%
High school diploma or higher	81.2%2015-2019	80.5%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Home price to income ratio	2.4×2015-2019	2.9×2020-2024	+0.4×	Within the margin of error	54%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4822015-2019	0.7052020-2024	+0.223	Declined	0%
Median household income	$50,0782015-2019	$51,0162020-2024	+1.9%	Within the margin of error	9%
Poverty rate	22.0%2015-2019	31.5%2020-2024	+9.5 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	21.7%2015-2019	33.9%2020-2024	+12 points	Declined	7%
Rent-burdened households	33.1%2015-2019	61.1%2020-2024	+28 points	Within the margin of error	4%

“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 Hazard, Kentucky five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Hazard, 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, Hazard, Kentucky itself moved −20.6 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

5,008 residents (±15)

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: 60–69 women (+8.3 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

5,008 residents (±15)

Hazard, Kentucky
Kentucky share

White88%4,425
Black3.8%†189
Hispanic or Latino0.9%†43

Education

3,816 residents (±219)

Hazard, Kentucky
Kentucky share

No high school diploma19%743
High school or GED27%1,020
Some college19%739

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

2,024 households (±183)

Hazard, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under $25k34%692
$25k–50k15%†307
$50k–75k12%†252
$75k–100k14%†279
$100k–150k7.0%†141
$150k–200k8.8%†179
$200k or more8.6%†174

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (−8.9 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

2,024 households (±183)

Hazard, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Own53%1,082
Rent47%942

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

866 households (±191)

Hazard, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under $75050%†436
$750–1,00033%†284
$1,000–1,50016%†139

Home values

1,082 homes (±171)

Hazard, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under $150k53%†575
$150k–250k12%†131
$250k–400k24%†258

Age of homes

2,346 homes (±187)

Hazard, Kentucky
Kentucky share

2010 or later6.0%†140
2000–20098.4%†196
1980–199929%673

Size of homes

2,346 homes (±187)

Hazard, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom20%†470
2 bedrooms17%†409

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

1,660 workers (±308)

Hazard, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Drive alone80%1,323
Carpool5.1%†85
Public transit0.0%0
Walk4.0%†67
Bike0.0%0
Work from home11%†185
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

1,475 workers (±283)

Hazard, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under 15 min77%1,132
15–29 min12%†174
30–44 min4.1%†60

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 Perry County, the county holding most of Hazard's residents.

Perry County has 556 employer establishments, 205 for every 10,000 residents (0.83× the US rate of 248; 0.99× Kentucky's), with 9,014 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,199. The Census Bureau also counts 1,327 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 556; 1,327 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 205; US 248 · Kentucky 207
Paid employees: 9,014
Average annual pay: $50,199; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	73	27	1.29×More than typical	1,379	$71,798	69
Restaurants and other eating places	36	13.3	0.72×Fewer than typical	768	$18,387	5
Offices of physicians	25	9.2	1.43×More than typical	642	$84,031	21
Truck transportation	24	8.9	1.75×More than typical	119	$43,655	31
Limited-service restaurants	23	8.5	1.06×About typical	567	$18,076	—
Outpatient care centers	23	8.5	4.62×More than typical	425	$65,798	—
Gasoline stations	21	7.8	2.39×More than typical	179	$22,508	—
Health and personal care stores	19	7	2.65×More than typical	184	$46,891	22
Specialty trade contractors	18	6.6	0.43×Fewer than typical	125	$52,232	110
Legal services	16	5.9	1.10×About typical	52	$68,365	22
Pharmacies and drug stores	16	5.9	4.76×More than typical	172	$47,744	4
General merchandise stores	15	5.5	3.14×More than typical	485	$27,546	14

Rank places for an industry Open Perry County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 27,069 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 $3,342 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Hazard, Kentucky: $0.67 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $3,342
Per resident: $0.67; US $1,994
Sole-source: 100%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Department of the Army$2,86786%
Federal Emergency Management Agency$47514%

Top recipients

PERRY COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT$2,86786%
CITY OF HAZARD$47514%

Spending by fiscal year

578.1FY2017
566FY2018
1.6KFY2019
2.3KFY2020
181.3KFY2022
17KFY2023
-33.4KFY2024
-10.2KFY2025

Top industries (NAICS)

Investigation and security services · 5616$2,86786%
Executive, legislative, and other general government support · 9211$47514%

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 Hazard, Kentucky, so they do not add up across cities.

Hazard, Kentucky's figures are part of those of Perry County, KY ($494.6K in FY2026), never added to them: 0.7% of that total.

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

See federal money in Perry 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.

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

House

Harold RogersR-KY-5 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 1.8%

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.

Perry County22100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Perry 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/2135362

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends