City · Kentucky
Jackson, Kentucky
Jackson, city, in Breathitt County, Kentucky. Jackson had 2,054 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 8.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,237 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,015 (±349). GEOID 2139952.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,054
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,237 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,015 ±349
Median household income
$32,683
±$4,465 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $63,726
Median home value
$77,500
±$31,481 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $205,600
Median gross rent
$495
±$50 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $967
Where is Jackson and what county is it in?
Jackson is a city in Breathitt County, Kentucky. It covers 2.5 square miles of land, 892 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 Jackson, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,054 people lived in Jackson on July 1, 2025, down 8.3% since 2020, while Kentucky grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 2,237 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,015 (±349).
| Measure | Jackson | Breathitt County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,015 ±349 | 13,276 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,039 ±177 | 5,464 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.87 ±0.20 | 2.38 | −0.52 |
| Housing units | 1,281 ±162 | 6,575 | +275 |
Jackson's population since 2000
From 2,490 in 2000 to 2,054 in 2025: down 17.5%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Jackson 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 Jackson?
The median resident of Jackson is 43.0 years old; 17.0% are under 18 and 23.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 96.9%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 1.6%.
| Measure | Jackson | Breathitt County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.0 ±4.8 | 42.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.0% ±3.9 pts | 21.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 23.3% ±5.8 pts | 18.7% | – |
| Male | 43.0% ±5.4 pts | 49.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.7% ±1.3 pts | 1.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 96.9% ±2.6 pts | 96.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±1.9 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.7% ±0.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.2% ±2.4 pts | 3.9% | – |
| With a disability | 28.4% ±7.0 pts | 31.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.1% ±1.3 pts | 3.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 81.6% ±7.4 pts | 80.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 13.7% ±4.9 pts | 15.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.7% ±3.8 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 82.1% ±7.6 pts | 92.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.8% ±1.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
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 Jackson earn?
Half of Jackson's 1,039 households earn less than $32,683 a year (±$4,465), against $34,808 in Breathitt County and $63,726 in Kentucky. In 2015-2019 it was $38,026 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 27.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Jackson | Breathitt County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $32,683 ±$4,465 | $34,808 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $44,453 ±$6,496 | $51,653 | – |
| Per capita income | $23,967 ±$2,768 | $22,593 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 27.1% ±8.5 pts | 33.1% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 28.2% ±18.4 pts | 42.1% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 36.6% ±8.9 pts | 34.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.9% ±5.2 pts | 84.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.6% ±5.4 pts | 81.2% | – |
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 Jackson?
Owners occupy 56.1% of Jackson's occupied homes and renters 43.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $77,500 by its owner (±$31,481). The median renter pays $495 a month including utilities, and 33.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Jackson | Breathitt County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $77,500 ±$31,481 | $70,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $495 ±$50 | $548 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 33.0% ±14.6 pts | 33.4% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,094 ±$340 | $1,151 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 56.1% ±10.7 pts | 76.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 43.9% ±10.7 pts | 23.4% | – |
| Housing units | 1,281 ±162 | 6,575 | +275 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±7.9 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 50.4% ±6.6 pts | 49.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 23.3% ±7.2 pts | 41.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.4% ±4.6 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 11.9% ±5.2 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 18.7% ±6.4 pts | 15.2% | – |
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 Jackson building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Jackson in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.5 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 Jackson work and get to work?
82.7% of Jackson's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 17.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 12.3%.
| Measure | Jackson | Breathitt County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 46.6% ±9.0 pts | 42.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 12.3% ±6.9 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 82.7% ±9.6 pts | 71.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.5% ±7.8 pts | 17.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±5.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 6.5% ±5.6 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 7.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.7 min ±4.5 | 28.2 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 Jackson?
No census tract lies mostly in Jackson; 5 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9203.01Breathitt County | 1,845 | $33,533 |
| Tract 9203.02Breathitt County | 1,429 | $42,476 |
| Tract 9208Breathitt County | 2,859 | $23,491 |
| Tract 9202Breathitt County | 2,180 | $51,583 |
| Tract 9207Breathitt County | 1,753 | $33,676 |
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 Jackson) · Census block assignment files
How does Jackson compare with other places in Kentucky?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Jackson is the 7,594th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 146th-most populous of 418 in Kentucky.
Jackson ranks 211th 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 | 146th | 418 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 198th | 204 |
| Residents per square mile | 146th | 232 |
| Median household income | 211th | 230 |
| Per capita income | 178th | 232 |
| Median home value | 216th | 225 |
| Median gross rent | 207th | 217 |
| Poverty rate | 53rd | 203 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 181st | 223 |
| Median age | 57th | 232 |
| Owner-occupied share | 144th | 229 |
| Travel time to work | 195th | 232 |
Jackson's figures with every place in Kentucky (CSV)
Every place in Kentucky, sortable · Compare Jackson 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 Jackson?
19 of the 57 figures for Jackson 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 Jackson 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 Jackson.