City · Clark County, Kentucky

Winchester, Kentucky

Winchester is a city in Clark County, Kentucky, part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area. It has 19,213 residents. Winchester, Kentucky has a quality-of-life score of 29 out of 100 (low), ranking #11,107 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Kentucky it ranks #127 of 243 cities and towns. It ranks best on pharmacies (high), drinking water violations (low) and job growth (high). It ranks worst on drug overdose deaths (high), injury deaths (high) and premature death (high).

29Low

Quality-of-life score: #11,107 of 15,651 cities and towns
Kentucky: #127 of 243 in KY
Population: 19,213 (2020-2024)
Land area: 9 mi²
Density: 2,075.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 2183676

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety39#9,547/15,637
Economy31#10,761/15,631
Housing57#6,461/14,977
Health7#14,482/15,609
Healthcare41#9,190/15,650
Environment53#7,193/15,453
Education40#9,326/15,649
Infrastructure57#6,802/15,650
Community24#11,914/15,651
Leisure & amenities31#10,853/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Winchester, Kentucky ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Clark 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 · high2.6 /10k
92/100Kentucky 2.4 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsClark County value
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Kentucky 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteClark County value
Job growth · high1.3%
82/100Kentucky -0.4%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataClark County value
Violent crime rate · low115 /100k
81/100Kentucky 212 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationClark County value
Distance to an emergency room · low3.9 mi
80/100Kentucky 6.4 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesClark County value
Child care cost burden · low24.1%
78/100Kentucky 25.2%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteClark County value

Weaknesses

Drug overdose deaths · high37.5 /100k
4/100Kentucky 23.1 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataClark County value
Injury deaths · high145 /100k
4/100Kentucky 115 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteClark County value
Premature death · high13,332 /100k
7/100Kentucky 11,364 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteClark County value
Comfortable days · low23.0%
7/100Kentucky 23.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationClark County value
Life expectancy · low72.5 yrs
9/100Kentucky 73.6 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteClark County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.3 /10k
10/100Kentucky 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsClark County value

Trends

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

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
73.9% (2015-2019) → 91.5% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
39.7% (2015-2019) → 54.6% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
17.5% (2015-2019) → 22.4% (2020-2024)
+4.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
High school diploma or higherImproving
83.8% (2015-2019) → 88.7% (2020-2024)
+4.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
26.8% (2015-2019) → 31.4% (2020-2024)
+4.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Median household incomeImproving
$44,747 (2015-2019) → $54,378 (2020-2024)
+22%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

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, Winchester, Kentucky improved on 4 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 7 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.

Improved4

Unemployment−3.3 points7.0% → 3.6%
Broadband+18 points73.9% → 91.5%
Bachelor's++4.9 points17.5% → 22.4%
Household income+22%$44,747 → $54,378

Declined3

Rent burden+15 points39.7% → 54.6%
Rent / income+4.6 points26.8% → 31.4%
Price / income+0.6×2.9× → 3.5×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Winchester, Kentucky between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	24.1 min2015-2019	21.9 min2020-2024	−2.3 min	Within the margin of error	73%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.5%2015-2019	22.4%2020-2024	+4.9 points	Improved	67%
Broadband subscriptions	73.9%2015-2019	91.5%2020-2024	+18 points	Improved	86%
Child poverty rate	25.1%2015-2019	23.6%2020-2024	−1.5 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Effective property tax rate	0.89%2015-2019	0.83%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	26%
High school diploma or higher	83.8%2015-2019	88.7%2020-2024	+4.9 points	Within the margin of error	81%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	3.5×2020-2024	+0.6×	Declined	42%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4752015-2019	0.4562020-2024	−0.020	Within the margin of error	67%
Median household income	$44,7472015-2019	$54,3782020-2024	+22%	Improved	36%
Poverty rate	19.4%2015-2019	17.3%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Rent as share of income	26.8%2015-2019	31.4%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Declined	24%
Rent-burdened households	39.7%2015-2019	54.6%2020-2024	+15 points	Declined	15%
Unemployment rate	7.0%2015-2019	3.6%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Improved	91%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	5.5%2015-2019	4.7%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Within the margin of error	56%

“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 Winchester, Kentucky five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Winchester, 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, Winchester, Kentucky itself moved −1.3 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

19,213 residents (±32)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

8,551 households (±267)

Winchester, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Under $25k22%1,859
$25k–50k23%1,929
$50k–75k20%1,720

Homes

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

Owners and renters

8,551 households (±267)

Winchester, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Own60%5,171
Rent40%3,380

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+6.2 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

8,693 workers (±453)

Winchester, Kentucky
Kentucky share

Drive alone75%6,481
Carpool9.5%827
Public transit0.1%†11

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Lexington-Fayette, KY

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 Clark County, the county holding most of Winchester's residents.

Clark County has 784 employer establishments, 210 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248; 1.01× Kentucky's), with 12,466 paid employees at an average annual pay of $49,398. The Census Bureau also counts 2,598 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 784; 2,598 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 210; US 248 · Kentucky 207
Paid employees: 12,466
Average annual pay: $49,398; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	71	19	0.91×About typical	598	$64,375	98
Restaurants and other eating places	62	16.6	0.90×About typical	1,082	$17,684	6
Specialty trade contractors	49	13.1	0.85×About typical	426	$60,972	266
Religious organizations	33	8.8	1.59×More than typical	224	$22,701	—
Limited-service restaurants	29	7.8	0.97×About typical	664	$17,429	—
Full-service restaurants	27	7.2	0.94×About typical	356	$18,551	3
Lessors of real estate	24	6.4	0.52×Fewer than typical	66	$37,091	318
Building equipment contractors	23	6.2	1.02×About typical	267	$55,345	59
Gasoline stations	22	5.9	1.82×More than typical	155	$22,432	—
Offices of other health practitioners	21	5.6	0.93×About typical	124	$34,484	42
Construction of buildings	20	5.4	0.71×Fewer than typical	118	$57,161	76
Offices of physicians	20	5.4	0.83×About typical	266	$89,060	16

Rank places for an industry Open Clark County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 37,349 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 $124.9K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Winchester, Kentucky: $6.50 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $124.9K
Per resident: $6.50; US $1,994
Sole-source: 11%; US 30%
Single offer: 37%; 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

Forest Service$113.2K91%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$12.6K10%
Department of the Army$2760.2%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

40.1KFY2017
56.6KFY2018
46.1KFY2019
90.8KFY2020
41.8KFY2021
80.3KFY2022
219.6KFY2023
84.6KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$56.4K45%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$48.6K39%
Natural gas distribution · 2212$12.6K10%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$4,9614.0%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$1,8221.5%
Other motor vehicle dealers · 4412

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

Winchester, Kentucky's figures are part of those of Clark County, KY ($3.2M in FY2026), never added to them: 3.9% of that total.

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

See federal money in Clark 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.

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

House

Andy BarrR-KY-6 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 7.1%

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.

Clark County46100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Lexington-Fayette, KY78

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/2183676

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends