Official Federal Data
Whitley County, Kentucky
FIPS 21235 · Corbin, KY · Population 36,920
9 Sources
Updated June 22, 2026
$44,615 ▲
Median Income
$80,734 national
4.7% ▼
Unemployment
4% national
$1.6B ▲
GDP
20.9% ▲
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$44,615 ▲
Per Capita
$23,353 ▲
Mean Household
$63,305 ▲
Poverty Rate
26.3% ▲
Median Income Comparison
Whitley County$44,615
Kentucky$63,726
National$80,734
Population Profile
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 26.2%
18-34 · 23.7%
35-54 · 22.6%
55-64 · 11.9%
65+ · 15.7%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
84.3%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▼ 5.3 pts
20.9%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 14.8 pts
10%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 4.1 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
36,920
Population
14,642
Labor Force
Employed
13,839
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
4.7% ▼ 0.3 pts YoY
Mean Commute 2 min below national avg
24.5 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
9.9%
Key Takeaways
- Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, which directly affects retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base.
- Elevated poverty: At 26.3%, the rate is in economically distressed territory and supports federal funding narratives (CDFI, NMTC, EDA).
- Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 14.8 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
- Young population: Median age of 35 is materially below the U.S. norm, a workforce pipeline asset.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
Key Takeaways
- Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 1,513 workers (25% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $33,437.
- Economic scale: Regional GDP of $1.6B (2024).
- Wage stratification: Wholesale Trade averages $66,561 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $22,990, a 2.9x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Cluster Depth
Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Retail Trade Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
474
Cluster Employment
1.54x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Private Households
4.29x 84
General Merchandise Retailers
1.54x 474
Attraction Opportunities
LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.23x
Specialty Trade Contractors
116 employed
0.23x
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
57 employed
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Private Households concentrates at 4.29x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy and supports supply-chain attraction strategy.
- Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$131,800 ▲
Median Home Value vs 2019
$798 ▲
Rent/Mo
66.8% ▼
Owner-Occ
13.4% ▼
Vacancy
3.0x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents
Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$619/mo
1 Bedroom
$660/mo
2 Bedroom
$866/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,038/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,157/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,115/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
- In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.0x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
- Elevated vacancy: 13.4% vacancy rate. In resort, rural, and seasonal markets much of this is recreational/seasonal (second homes), not available supply; confirm the vacancy-by-reason split before treating it as a redevelopment opportunity.
- Affordable rent tiers: 4 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,115/mo).
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
21,479 ▲
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 2 min below national avg
24.5 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
9.9%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
70.5%
of prime-age population
▲ vs 2019
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
20.9% ▲
HS Diploma+
84.3% ▲
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
35,189/yr
8,890/yr
6,956/yr
5,751/yr
5,011/yr
4,485/yr
4,096/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
20.4%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
35.1%
Service
21%
Sales & Office
18.1%
Construction / Maint.
7.5%
Production / Transport
18.3%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 13,839 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Low participation: 53.7% labor force participation suggests untapped capacity; workforce development programs may unlock supply.
- Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 21,597 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.
AI Insights
AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources
Sample AI Insight
Whitley County shows meaningful potential for private households attraction, with a 4.29x concentration and 84 jobs in this sub-sector.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Whitley County, Kentucky, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Whitley County, Kentucky?
36,920 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Whitley County, Kentucky?
$44,615 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Whitley County, Kentucky?
4.7% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Whitley County, Kentucky?
$1.6B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).
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