Scores by category

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

Safety94#53/924
Economy35#604/925
Housing79#193/925
Health36#595/925
Healthcare16#780/923
Environment28#664/917
Education30#652/925
Infrastructure50#465/925
Community16#778/925
Leisure & amenities81#181/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Firearm deaths · low0.0 /100k
100/100Kentucky 16.9 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · low0.0 /100k
100/100Kentucky 18.0 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · high16.1 /1k
99/100Kentucky 3.2 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.4 /10k
98/100Kentucky 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · high2.9 /10k
97/100Kentucky 2.4 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · low409 /100k
97/100Kentucky 1,262 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Primary care physicians · low30 /100k
6/100Kentucky 63 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · low93 /100k
9/100Kentucky 329 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Access to exercise opportunities · low53.1%
10/100Kentucky 69.8%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high129 mi
10/100Kentucky 78 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low23.3%
12/100Kentucky 23.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Distance to an emergency room · high12.2 mi
12/100Kentucky 6.4 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties

Trends

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

PopulationRising
19,628 (2020) → 20,788 (2025)
+5.9%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 36% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+36 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New homes permittedImproving
6.6 /1k (2021) → 16.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+144%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Homicide rateImproving
5.7 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Firearm deathsImproving
18.6 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 14.7 /100k → 12.1 /100k
Suicide rateImproving
18.8 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /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, Franklin, KY micropolitan area improved on 14 of 21 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 0 moved within the margin of error and 2 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 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Suicides−100%18.1 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Firearm deaths−100%20.9 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Arts & recreation+75%3.6 /10k → 6.3 /10k
Restaurants+28%8.7 /10k → 11.1 /10k
Property crime−74%1,583 /100k → 409 /100k

Declined5

Libraries−9.2%1.1 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Pharmacies−19%3.6 /10k → 2.9 /10k
Rent burden+3 points41.5% → 44.5%
Grocery stores−5.6%1.0 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Traffic deaths+8.2%23.1 /100k → 25.0 /100k

All 21 measures

Change of every measure of Franklin, KY micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.6 /10k2020	6.3 /10k2025	+75%	Improved	99%
Average commute time	20.3 min2015-2019	21.0 min2020-2024	+0.7 min	Little change	39%
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.2%2015-2019	18.8%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Improved	87%
Broadband subscriptions	75.1%2015-2019	88.7%2020-2024	+14 points	Improved	87%
Distance to an airport	42 mi2020	42 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Firearm deaths	20.9 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	100%
Grocery stores	1.0 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−5.6%	Declined	33%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.5 /10k2020	2.4 /10k2025	+57%	Improved	90%
High school diploma or higher	87.0%2015-2019	90.9%2020-2024	+4 points	Improved	91%
Homicide rate	10.7 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	95%
Income adjusted for local prices	$42,7742019	$55,4272024	+30%	Improved	33%
New business applications	6.5 /1k2020	12.3 /1k2025	+89%	Improved	92%
Pharmacies	3.6 /10k2020	2.9 /10k2025	−19%	Declined	22%
Property crime rate	1,583 /100k2020	409 /100k2025	−74%	Improved	99%
Public libraries	1.1 /10k2019	1.0 /10k2024	−9.2%	Declined	13%
Rent-burdened households	41.5%2015-2019	44.5%2020-2024	+3 points	Declined	32%
Restaurants and bars	8.7 /10k2020	11.1 /10k2025	+28%	Improved	96%
Suicide rate	18.1 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	100%
Traffic deaths	23.1 /100k2015-2019	25.0 /100k2020-2024	+8.2%	Declined	48%
Unemployment rate	7.4%2020	4.5%2025	−2.9 points	Improved	48%
Violent crime rate	139 /100k2020	104 /100k2025	−25%	Improved	66%

“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 Franklin, KY micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Franklin, 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, Franklin, KY micropolitan area itself moved +17.5 points in standing on average over the same 21 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

19,972 residents

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79
60–69
50–59

Income

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

Household income

8,025 households (±208)

Franklin, KY micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k22%1,734
$25k–50k16%1,314
$50k–75k26%2,090
$75k–100k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

8,025 households (±208)

Franklin, KY micropolitan area
United States share

Own67%5,351
Rent33%2,674

Table view

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

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

9,051 workers (±491)

Franklin, KY micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone79%7,167
Carpool13%1,194
Public transit0.2%†22

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 Franklin, 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.

Franklin, KY has 422 employer establishments, 208 for every 10,000 residents (0.84× the US rate of 248), with 8,630 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,131. The Census Bureau also counts 1,512 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 422; 1,512 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 208; US 248
Paid employees: 8,630
Average annual pay: $47,131; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	44	21.7	1.18×About typical	828	$20,851	3
Specialty trade contractors	37	18.3	1.18×About typical	421	$56,979	207
Limited-service restaurants	24	11.9	1.48×More than typical	484	$18,178	—
Ambulatory health care services	20	9.9	0.47×Fewer than typical	145	$63,697	33
Full-service restaurants	18	8.9	1.16×About typical	343	$24,490	—
Gasoline stations	16	7.9	2.44×More than typical	237	$30,346	—
Religious organizations	15	7.4	1.34×More than typical	87	$22,816	—
Truck transportation	14	6.9	1.37×More than typical	188	$65,218	51
Other specialty trade contractors	13	6.4	2.56×More than typical	244	$61,877	66
Automotive repair and maintenance	12	5.9	1.18×About typical	81	$67,543	31
Building equipment contractors	12	5.9	0.99×About typical	86	$53,802	41
Insurance agencies and brokerages	10	4.9	1.12×About typical	28	$45,500	11

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 20,243 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 $18.2K on contracts performed in Franklin, KY micropolitan area: $0.87 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $18.2K
Per resident: $0.87; US $1,994
Sole-source: 43%; 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

Defense Logistics Agency$18.2K100%

Top recipients

G3 TAPES, INC.$10.3K57%
STAR POLY BAG, INC.$7,87543%

Spending by fiscal year

75.8KFY2017
178.5KFY2018
45.8KFY2019
40.6KFY2020
-60.2KFY2021
76KFY2022
9.2KFY2023
18.2KFY2026

Top industries (NAICS)

Other miscellaneous manufacturing · 3399$18.2K100%

Largest awards

PRESSURE SENSITIVE TAPE$10.3K
G3 TAPES, INC.· Simpson County, KY· Other equipment & supplies· May 20, 2026 – May 20, 2026· SPMYM226P7327
FME TAPE$7,875
STAR POLY BAG, INC.· Simpson County, KY· Other equipment & supplies· Apr 17, 2026 – Apr 17, 2026· SPMYM226P5898

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.

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 $121.4M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Franklin, KY micropolitan area: $5,838 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $121.4M; −3.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,838; US $12,955
Loan face value: $7.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$76.5M63%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$15.3M13%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$12.5M10%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$7.7M6.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$3.3M2.7%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$1.4M1.1%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$1M0.8%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$822.6K0.7%

Top recipients (organizations)

MILLER FARMS PTR$402.3K0.3%
FRANKLIN, KY
FRANKLIN HOUSING AUTHORITY$399.7K0.3%
FRANKLIN, KY
BUCKEYE COMMUNITY EIGHTEEN, LP$282.1K0.2%
COLUMBUS, OH
HARTFORD INSURANCE COMPANY OF THE MIDWEST$54.4K0.0%
HARTFORD, CT
COMCAST BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS, LLC$1,130

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$102.8M85%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$14.3M12%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$2.5M2.0%
Department of Agriculture
Railroad Retirement Board$406.8K0.3%
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$399.7K

Assistance by fiscal year

93.1MFY2021
117.1MFY2022
104MFY2023
111MFY2024
126.3MFY2025
121.4MFY2026

County aggregates

97%

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 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Franklin, 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.

Simpson CountyCentral county5120,788

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

FranklinPrincipal city10,360

Largest cities and towns

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

Franklin10,360

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
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M23190

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Franklin, 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 Franklin, 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

Improved14

Declined5

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 programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought