Whitley City, Kentucky Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 963, Whitley City'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

Whitley City is a small community located in Kentucky, within McCreary County. The total population is 963. It ranks as the 251st most populous out of 552 Census-designated places in Kentucky.

Age Demographics

The median age in Whitley City is 34.6 years. This is 12% lower than the state median of 39.1 years. With 44.3% of the population under 18, Whitley City has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Whitley City is $33,719. This is 47% lower than the state median of $63,726. It is also 58% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 51.1%. This is 218% 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 Whitley City, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $116,700. Housing costs are 43% lower than the state median of $205,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.5x. 44.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 34% lower than the state average of 68.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Whitley City is White (non-Hispanic), making up 83.8% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.4%. The Black or African American population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 7.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.4%) is well below the state average of 5.0%.

Education

0.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 98% 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 83.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Whitley City, 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.