City · Kentucky
Hazard, Kentucky
Hazard, city, in Perry County, Kentucky. Hazard had 4,794 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 9.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 5,263 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 5,008 (±15). GEOID 2135362.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
4,794
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 5,263 · ACS 2020-2024: 5,008 ±15
Median household income
$51,016
±$25,536 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $63,726
Median home value
$145,400
±$56,067 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $205,600
Median gross rent
$720
±$386 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $967
Where is Hazard and what county is it in?
Hazard is a city in Perry County, Kentucky. It covers 7.5 square miles of land, 706 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Hazard, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 4,794 people lived in Hazard on July 1, 2025, down 9.0% since 2020, while Kentucky grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 5,263 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 5,008 (±15).
| Measure | Hazard | Perry County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,008 ±15 | 27,499 | −38 |
| Households | 2,024 ±183 | 11,078 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.20 ±0.20 | 2.42 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,346 ±187 | 13,295 | no clear change |
Hazard's population since 2000
From 4,806 in 2000 to 4,794 in 2025: down 0.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Hazard as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Hazard?
The median resident of Hazard is 42.2 years old; 19.1% are under 18 and 18.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 88.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 6.6%.
| Measure | Hazard | Perry County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.2 ±4.3 | 41.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.1% ±4.0 pts | 23.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.7% ±3.8 pts | 18.0% | – |
| Male | 43.4% ±3.5 pts | 49.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.9% ±1.4 pts | 0.2% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 88.4% ±3.4 pts | 93.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.8% ±2.8 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.5 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.6% ±3.1 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.2% ±0.5 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.2% ±1.0 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.9% ±2.5 pts | 5.0% | – |
| With a disability | 30.3% ±6.3 pts | 30.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.4% ±1.8 pts | 2.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 80.5% ±4.5 pts | 80.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.6% ±6.1 pts | 14.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 16.6% ±5.4 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.9% ±7.1 pts | 89.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.0% ±1.9 pts | 0.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Hazard earn?
Half of Hazard's 2,024 households earn less than $51,016 a year (±$25,536), against $42,181 in Perry County and $63,726 in Kentucky. In 2015-2019 it was $61,631 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 31.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Hazard | Perry County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,016 ±$25,536 | $42,181 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $132,149 ±$35,213 | $73,788 | – |
| Per capita income | $52,395 ±$14,301 | $28,931 | +$17,288 |
| People below the poverty line | 31.5% ±8.4 pts | 26.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 34.1% ±16.8 pts | 31.3% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 38.2% ±9.6 pts | 28.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.4% ±3.7 pts | 94.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.3% ±4.5 pts | 88.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Hazard?
Owners occupy 53.5% of Hazard's occupied homes and renters 46.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $145,400 by its owner (±$56,067). The median renter pays $720 a month including utilities, and 46.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Hazard | Perry County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $145,400 ±$56,067 | $91,800 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $720 ±$386 | $798 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 46.8% ±16.4 pts | 40.9% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,366 ±$212 | $1,167 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 53.5% ±7.9 pts | 70.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 46.5% ±7.9 pts | 29.6% | – |
| Housing units | 2,346 ±187 | 13,295 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.6% ±6.4 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.7% ±5.9 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 66.6% ±8.3 pts | 56.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.9% ±2.7 pts | 32.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.6% ±1.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.3% ±4.1 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 22.5% ±7.7 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 11.7% ±6.0 pts | 7.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Hazard building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Hazard in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.2 across Kentucky.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Hazard work and get to work?
79.7% of Hazard's workers drive alone and 11.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 13.8 minutes.
| Measure | Hazard | Perry County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 44.6% ±7.1 pts | 47.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.1% ±8.9 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 79.7% ±7.6 pts | 72.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.1% ±4.9 pts | 16.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 4.0% ±4.6 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.1% ±5.5 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 13.8 min ±3.3 | 24.8 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Hazard?
1 census tract lies mostly in Hazard, and 4 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9706.02Perry County | 2,179 | $27,894 |
| Tract 9705.02Perry County | 2,438 | $54,167 |
| Tract 9705.01Perry County | 3,148 | $33,536 |
| Tract 9704Perry County | 4,189 | $43,620 |
| Tract 9706.01Perry County | 2,235 | $34,929 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Hazard) · Census block assignment files
How does Hazard compare with other places in Kentucky?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Hazard is the 5,015th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 80th-most populous of 418 in Kentucky.
Hazard ranks 136th of 230 places in Kentucky with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 80th | 418 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 199th | 204 |
| Residents per square mile | 170th | 232 |
| Median household income | 136th | 230 |
| Per capita income | 25th | 232 |
| Median home value | 147th | 225 |
| Median gross rent | 155th | 217 |
| Poverty rate | 31st | 203 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 103rd | 223 |
| Median age | 63rd | 232 |
| Owner-occupied share | 164th | 229 |
| Work from home | 76th | 130 |
| Travel time to work | 227th | 232 |
Hazard's figures with every place in Kentucky (CSV)
Every place in Kentucky, sortable · Compare Hazard with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Hazard?
19 of the 57 figures for Hazard on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Hazard are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Hazard.