Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety72#256/924
Economy65#320/925
Housing76#220/925
Health38#573/925
Healthcare50#466/923
Environment32#628/917
Education71#266/925
Infrastructure51#456/925
Community44#514/925
Leisure & amenities41#545/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Frankfort, KY micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Child care cost burden · low19.9%
96/100Kentucky 25.2%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Social associations · high16.7 /10k
95/100Kentucky 10.3 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · low7.6 /100k
94/100Kentucky 17.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · low18 mi
88/100Kentucky 44 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · low8%
85/100Kentucky 21%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · high2.2 /10k
84/100Kentucky 2.4 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Comfortable days · low22.4%
4/100Kentucky 23.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · low0.8 /10k
6/100Kentucky 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Public libraries · low0.3 /10k
10/100Kentucky 0.6 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Primary care physicians · low37 /100k
12/100Kentucky 63 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · low38.3%
14/100Kentucky 45.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Injury deaths · high119 /100k
17/100Kentucky 115 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Access to exercise opportunitiesWorsening
75.6% (2010 & 2021) → 58.7% (2022 & 2024)
−17 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
New business applicationsImproving
7.7 /1k (2020) → 13.4 /1k (2025)
+75%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
55.0 /100k (2021) → 21.9 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−60%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Mental health providersImproving
125 /100k (2021) → 190 /100k (2025)
+52%4 yearsUS 282 /100k → 348 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
1,837 /100k (2019) → 918 /100k (2024)
−50%5 yearsUS 2,082 /100k → 1,761 /100k
Traffic deathsImproving
14.0 /100k (2015-2019) → 7.6 /100k (2020-2024)
−46%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k

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, Frankfort, KY micropolitan area improved on 15 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 5 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

Traffic deaths−46%14.0 /100k → 7.6 /100k
Suicides−35%23.8 /100k → 15.6 /100k
Restaurants+15%7.7 /10k → 8.9 /10k
Weekly wage+29%$909 → $1,177
Firearm deaths−31%19.4 /100k → 13.3 /100k

Declined6

Grocery stores−27%1.1 /10k → 0.8 /10k
Inequality+0.0260.410 → 0.436
Commute+1.8 min21.7 min → 23.5 min
Violent crime+7.1%128 /100k → 138 /100k
Gyms−14%1.2 /10k → 1.0 /10k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Frankfort, KY micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.8 /10k2020	3.6 /10k2025	+29%	Improved	86%
Average commute time	21.7 min2015-2019	23.5 min2020-2024	+1.8 min	Declined	15%
Average weekly wage	$9092020	$1,1772025	+29%	Improved	92%
Bachelor's degree or higher	26.9%2015-2019	30.1%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Improved	57%
Broadband subscriptions	79.8%2015-2019	87.1%2020-2024	+7.3 points	Improved	27%
Child poverty rate	20.5%2015-2019	17.9%2020-2024	−2.7 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Distance to an airport	18 mi2020	18 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	81%
Drug overdose deaths	46.4 /100k2020	21.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−53%	Improved	84%
Effective property tax rate	0.88%2015-2019	0.72%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	62%
Firearm deaths	19.4 /100k2020	13.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−31%	Improved	93%
Grocery stores	1.1 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	−27%	Declined	5%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.2 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−14%	Declined	22%
High school diploma or higher	89.3%2015-2019	92.1%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Home price to income ratio	2.6×2015-2019	3.2×2020-2024	+0.6×	Declined	32%
Homicide rate	4.5 /100k2020	4.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−11%	Improved	32%
Income adjusted for local prices	$48,5512019	$63,6592024	+31%	Improved	45%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4102015-2019	0.4362020-2024	+0.026	Declined	9%
Median household income	$56,0242015-2019	$68,5682020-2024	+22%	Improved	25%
New business applications	7.7 /1k2020	13.4 /1k2025	+75%	Improved	84%
Pharmacies	2.1 /10k2020	2.2 /10k2025	+3%	Little change	81%
Poverty rate	13.4%2015-2019	12.9%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Public libraries	0.3 /10k2019	0.3 /10k2024	−4.9%	Little change	25%
Rent as share of income	25.5%2015-2019	27.4%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Rent-burdened households	39.5%2015-2019	44.1%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Restaurants and bars	7.7 /10k2020	8.9 /10k2025	+15%	Improved	88%
Suicide rate	23.8 /100k2020	15.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−35%	Improved	95%
Traffic deaths	14.0 /100k2015-2019	7.6 /100k2020-2024	−46%	Improved	99%
Unemployment rate	6.5%2020	4.2%2025	−2.3 points	Improved	30%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.1%2015-2019	6.2%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Improved	83%
Violent crime rate	128 /100k2020	138 /100k2025	+7.1%	Declined	20%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Frankfort, KY micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Frankfort, KY micropolitan area 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, Frankfort, KY micropolitan area itself moved +2 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

76,195 residents

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

32,371 households (±424)

Frankfort, KY micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k15%4,816
$25k–50k22%6,981
$50k–75k17%5,455

Homes

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

Owners and renters

32,371 households (±424)

Frankfort, KY micropolitan area
United States share

Own68%22,138
Rent32%10,233

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

35,545 workers (±964)

Frankfort, KY micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone75%26,816
Carpool9.2%3,283
Public transit0.5%†170

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 no occupation wages for Frankfort, KY micropolitan area.

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.

Frankfort, KY has 1,630 employer establishments, 213 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248), with 21,072 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,218. The Census Bureau also counts 5,556 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,630; 5,556 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 213; US 248
Paid employees: 21,072
Average annual pay: $50,218; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	135	17.7	0.96×About typical	2,588	$19,782	22
Ambulatory health care services	133	17.4	0.83×About typical	1,189	$67,812	162
Specialty trade contractors	76	9.9	0.64×Fewer than typical	647	$56,643	601
Limited-service restaurants	68	8.9	1.11×About typical	1,456	$18,288	5
Religious organizations	65	8.5	1.53×More than typical	392	$19,564	—
Lessors of real estate	53	6.9	0.56×Fewer than typical	152	$39,211	501
Computer systems design and related services	51	6.7	1.54×More than typical	282	$115,195	45
Full-service restaurants	51	6.7	0.87×About typical	992	$22,016	10
Gasoline stations	42	5.5	1.69×More than typical	212	$26,679	3
Offices of physicians	42	5.5	0.85×About typical	572	$82,685	25
Automotive repair and maintenance	39	5.1	1.01×About typical	189	$41,614	88
Offices of other health practitioners	39	5.1	0.84×About typical	173	$42,474	64

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 76,487 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $5.2M on contracts performed in Frankfort, KY micropolitan area: $66.24 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $5.2M; −69% vs FY2025
Per resident: $66.24; US $1,995
Sole-source: 63%; US 30%
Single offer: 3.1%; 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$1.7M32%
Federal Emergency Management Agency$1.3M26%
Food and Drug Administration$963.5K19%
Social Security Administration$493.1K9.6%
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention$344K6.7%
Department of Education$210.3K4.1%
Forest Service$71.2K1.4%
Federal Prison Industries / Unicor$30K0.6%

Top recipients

STRATEGIC SECURITY CORP$1.2M23%
HEALTH SERVICES KENTUCKY CABINET FOR$1.1M22%
PUBLIC PROTECTION CABINET$650.3K13%
BLASTERS TOOL & SUPPLY CO., INC.$533.3K10%
DEPARTMENT OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION$351K6.8%

Spending by fiscal year

3.2MFY2017
2.9MFY2018
1.4MFY2019
4MFY2020
4.2MFY2021
18.1MFY2022
15.6MFY2023
6.1M

Top industries (NAICS)

Investigation and security services · 5616$1.2M23%
Administration of human resource programs · 9231$989.1K19%
Data processing, hosting, and related services · 5182$804.5K16%
Other chemical product and preparation manufacturing · 3259$533.3K10%
Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing · 3341$502.3K9.7%
Special food services · 7223$351K

Largest awards

FULL FOOD SERVICE BUILDING 2835$6.3M
DEPARTMENT OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION· Franklin County, KY· Facilities & utilities· Jan 3, 2025 – Oct 28, 2025· W9124D25FA007
IN ACCORDANCE WITH E.O. 14222 SECTION 2(D) - THE CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE ALL LABOR, EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, MATERIALS, TRANSPORTATION AND INCIDENTAL ITEMS TO PERFORM LEVEL II ARMED SECURITY GUARD SERVICES AT DISASTER RELATED COUNTIES, SITES AND FACILITIES$3.9M
STRATEGIC SECURITY CORP· Franklin County, KY· Facilities & utilities· Apr 17, 2025 – Aug 14, 2026· 70FBR425C00000032
KENTUCKY (KY) - ELECTRONIC DEATH RECORDS (EDR)$1.4M
HEALTH SERVICES KENTUCKY CABINET FOR· Franklin County, KY· Professional services· Nov 29, 2023 – Sep 23, 2026· 28321324P00050036

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.1B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Frankfort, KY micropolitan area: $14,503 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.1B; +5.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $14,503; US $12,957
Loan face value: $438.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

97.036 · Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disasters)$441.7M39%
96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$316.2M28%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$56.8M5.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$44.4M3.9%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$40.6M3.6%
93.788 · Opioid Str$37.6M3.3%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$33.1M2.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$30.7M2.7%

Top recipients (organizations)

KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS$408.7M36%
FRANKFORT, KY
HEALTH SERVICES KENTUCKY CABINET FOR$107.5M9.5%
FRANKFORT, KY
KENTUCKY HOUSING CORP$47.9M4.2%
FRANKFORT, KY
KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY$23.5M2.1%
FRANKFORT, KY
KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$448.2M40%
Federal Emergency Management Agency$430.8M38%
Department of Homeland Security
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration$86.3M7.6%
Department of Health and Human Services
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$47.2M4.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing

Assistance by fiscal year

929.8MFY2021
885.8MFY2022
858.7MFY2023
1.1BFY2024
1.1BFY2025
1.1BFY2026

County aggregates

44%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Frankfort, KY

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

FrankfortPrincipal city28,503

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Kentucky

Areas based in Kentucky, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M23180

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Frankfort, KY micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Frankfort, KY

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Kentucky

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type