Carter County vs Harlan County
A side-by-side comparison of Carter County and Harlan County: population, income, housing, and more.
Carter County and Harlan County are counties in Kentucky. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Carter County has the higher population (26,515 vs 26,185 in Harlan County). Carter County has the higher median household income ($50,389 vs $37,198 in Harlan County). Carter County has the higher median home value ($126,100 vs $73,100 in Harlan County).
Population, income & housing
| Carter County | Harlan County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,515 | 26,185 |
| Median age | 41.8 yrs | 41.2 yrs |
| Median household income | $50,389 | $37,198 |
| Median home value | $126,100 | $73,100 |
| Median gross rent | $701 | $651 |
| Housing units | 12,283 | 13,012 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.4% | 70.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.4% | 12.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 11.0% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Carter County | Harlan County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,159 → 26,515 (-2.4%) | 26,699 → 26,185 (-1.9%) |
| Median household income | $34,736 → $50,389 (+45.1%) | $26,478 → $37,198 (+40.5%) |
| Median home value | $95,000 → $126,100 (+32.7%) | $60,300 → $73,100 (+21.2%) |
| Median gross rent | $579 → $701 (+21.1%) | $528 → $651 (+23.3%) |
Carter County
27,15926,515
$34,736$50,389
$95,000$126,100
$579$701
Harlan County
26,69926,185
$26,478$37,198
$60,300$73,100
$528$651
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Carter County | Harlan County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.8% | 6.0% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.6% | 17.6% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.7% | 6.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.2% | 11.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.0% | 12.6% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.5% | 14.0% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 75 and over | 8.0% | 6.9% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Carter County | Harlan County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 95.2% | 94.2% |
| Black or African American | 0.3% | 1.5% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more races | 3.1% | 3.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.1% | 0.2% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Carter County | Harlan County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 17.2% | 20.8% |
| High school graduate | 39.4% | 34.5% |
| Some college or associate's | 28.0% | 32.0% |
| Bachelor's degree | 8.6% | 6.2% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 6.8% | 6.5% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Carter County | Harlan County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 81.0% | 74.9% |
| Carpooled | 12.1% | 16.7% |
| Public transit | 0.0% | 0.6% |
| Walked | 3.8% | 1.6% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 2.3% | 5.7% |
| Other means | 0.7% | 0.5% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Carter County | Harlan County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 67.6% | 66.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| 2 to 4 units | 2.4% | 5.1% |
| 5 to 19 units | 1.8% | 6.0% |
| 20 or more units | 1.1% | 0.9% |
| Mobile home & other | 26.3% | 20.3% |
Poverty & households
| Carter County | Harlan County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 19.6% | 27.2% |
| Average household size | 2.50 | 2.44 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 29 | 24 |
| Median year structure built | 1983 | 1977 |
Full profiles
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