Blackey, Kentucky Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 141, Blackey's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Blackey is a small community located in Kentucky, within Letcher County. The total population is 141. It ranks as the 498th most populous out of 552 Census-designated places in Kentucky.

Age Demographics

The median age in Blackey is 59.4 years. This is 52% higher than the state median of 39.1 years. Only 5.0% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Blackey is $11,629. This is 82% lower than the state median of $63,726. It is also 86% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 74.5%. This is 364% higher than the state poverty rate of 16.1%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Blackey, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $69,200. Housing costs are 66% lower than the state median of $205,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 6.0x. 47.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 31% lower than the state average of 68.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Every resident counted in Blackey was recorded as White (non-Hispanic). A figure of exactly 100.0% reflects a survey sample too small to capture the community's full composition rather than a precise measurement.

Education

13.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 51% lower than the state rate of 27.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 96.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Blackey, Kentucky is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Kentucky state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 552 Census-designated places in Kentucky. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.