Scores by category

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

Safety81#2,955/15,637
Economy1#15,418/15,631
Housing96#667/14,977
Health0#15,568/15,609
Healthcare17#12,920/15,650
Environment64#5,552/15,453
Education15#13,360/15,649
Infrastructure4#15,018/15,650
Community11#13,995/15,651
Leisure & amenities17#12,913/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Violent crime rate · low0 /100k
100/100Kentucky 212 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figureLetcher County value
Property crime rate · low75 /100k
100/100Kentucky 1,262 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCovers part of the area: some reporting agencies or member counties have no figureLetcher County value
Pharmacies · high5.5 /10k
100/100Kentucky 2.4 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLetcher County value
Rent-burdened households · low36.6%
98/100Kentucky 45.4%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Grocery stores · high3.5 /10k
97/100Kentucky 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLetcher County value
Public libraries · high2.5 /10k
94/100Kentucky 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesLetcher County value

Weaknesses

Preventable hospital stays · high7,043 /100k
0/100Kentucky 3,415 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLetcher County value
Life expectancy · low67.8 yrs
1/100Kentucky 73.6 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLetcher County value
Depression · high33.4%
1/100Kentucky 27.4%United States 20.7%2022Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Premature death · high18,319 /100k
1/100Kentucky 11,364 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLetcher County value
Median household income · low$27,200
1/100Kentucky $64,481United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Restaurants and bars · low3.0 /10k
2/100Kentucky 8.1 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLetcher County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
2,245 (2015-2019) → 1,406 (2020-2024)
−37%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
59.1% (2015-2019) → 25.0% (2020-2024)
−34 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
60.9% (2015-2019) → 36.6% (2020-2024)
−24 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Unemployment rateImproving
22.0% (2015-2019) → 6.0% (2020-2024)
−16 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.0× (2015-2019) → 2.9× (2020-2024)
+48%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.3% (2015-2019) → 85.7% (2020-2024)
+9.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

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, Jenkins, Kentucky improved on 2 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 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.

Improved2

Child poverty−34 points59.1% → 25.0%
Broadband+9.4 points76.3% → 85.7%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Jenkins, Kentucky between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	28.0 min2015-2019	24.2 min2020-2024	−3.7 min	Within the margin of error	84%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.0%2015-2019	14.5%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Broadband subscriptions	76.3%2015-2019	85.7%2020-2024	+9.4 points	Improved	57%
Child poverty rate	59.1%2015-2019	25.0%2020-2024	−34 points	Improved	99%
Effective property tax rate	1.04%2015-2019	0.70%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	79%
High school diploma or higher	74.7%2015-2019	82.1%2020-2024	+7.4 points	Within the margin of error	91%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	2.9×2020-2024	+1.0×	Within the margin of error	24%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5742015-2019	0.5392020-2024	−0.035	Within the margin of error	77%
Median household income	$27,7632015-2019	$27,2002020-2024	−2%	Within the margin of error	6%
Poverty rate	36.7%2015-2019	32.3%2020-2024	−4.4 points	Within the margin of error	77%
Rent as share of income	33.3%2015-2019	28.3%2020-2024	−5 points	Within the margin of error	82%
Rent-burdened households	60.9%2015-2019	36.6%2020-2024	−24 points	Within the margin of error	96%

“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 Jenkins, Kentucky five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Jenkins, 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, Jenkins, Kentucky itself moved +12.2 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

1,406 residents (±270)

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 (−9.7 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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,406 residents (±270)

Jenkins, Kentucky
Kentucky share

White97%1,364
Black0.3%†4
Hispanic or Latino0.0%0

Education

1,080 residents (±177)

Jenkins, Kentucky
Kentucky share

No high school diploma18%†193
High school or GED42%456
Some college19%†207

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

694 households (±123)

Jenkins, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under $25k47%325
$25k–50k20%†137
$50k–75k12%†82
$75k–100k3.9%†27
$100k–150k13%†88
$150k–200k5.0%†35
$200k or more0.0%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 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

694 households (±123)

Jenkins, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Own60%419
Rent40%275

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

205 households (±66)

Jenkins, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under $75083%†170
$750–1,00011%†22
$1,000–1,5006.3%†13

Home values

419 homes (±109)

Jenkins, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under $150k82%†345
$150k–250k12%†52
$250k–400k5.3%†22

Age of homes

967 homes (±131)

Jenkins, Kentucky
Kentucky share

2010 or later8.6%†83
2000–20094.1%†40
1980–199921%†205

Size of homes

967 homes (±131)

Jenkins, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Studio1.3%†13
1 bedroom17%†165
2 bedrooms21%†200

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

470 workers (±113)

Jenkins, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Drive alone65%†305
Carpool17%†78
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home17%†78
Other1.9%†9

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

392 workers (±103)

Jenkins, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under 15 min33%†128
15–29 min30%†118
30–44 min19%†75

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 Letcher County, the county holding most of Jenkins's residents.

Letcher County has 277 employer establishments, 135 for every 10,000 residents (0.55× the US rate of 248; 0.65× Kentucky's), with 3,171 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,618. The Census Bureau also counts 981 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 277; 981 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 135; US 248 · Kentucky 207
Paid employees: 3,171
Average annual pay: $46,618; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	39	19.1	0.92×About typical	449	$65,895	52
Restaurants and other eating places	23	11.2	0.61×Fewer than typical	375	$19,091	3
Offices of physicians	21	10.3	1.59×More than typical	85	$54,659	9
Truck transportation	15	7.3	1.45×More than typical	124	$58,492	28
Limited-service restaurants	14	6.8	0.85×About typical	307	$18,394	—
Health and personal care stores	11	5.4	2.03×More than typical	106	$49,462	11
Pharmacies and drug stores	11	5.4	4.33×More than typical	106	$49,462	4
Religious organizations	11	5.4	0.97×About typical	36	$20,528	—
General merchandise stores	10	4.9	2.77×More than typical	181	$31,243	8
Banks and credit unions	9	4.4	1.36×Too few to compare	58	$35,103	—
Outpatient care centers	9	4.4	2.39×Too few to compare	254	$80,437	—
Specialty trade contractors	9	4.4	0.28×Too few to compare	37	$36,892	106

Rank places for an industry Open Letcher County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 20,449 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 Jenkins, 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

26.3KFY2023
-14.7KFY2024

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

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

See federal money in Letcher 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.

Jenkins, 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.

Letcher County23100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Letcher 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
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/2140312