City · Kentucky
Jenkins, Kentucky
Jenkins, city, in Letcher County, Kentucky. Jenkins had 1,733 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 9.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,902 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,406 (±270). GEOID 2140312.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,733
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,902 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,406 ±270
Median household income
$27,200
±$8,046 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $63,726
Median home value
$80,200
±$19,456 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $205,600
Median gross rent
$455
±$169 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $967
Where is Jenkins and what county is it in?
Jenkins is a city in Letcher County, Kentucky. It covers 8.8 square miles of land, 215 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 Jenkins, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,733 people lived in Jenkins on July 1, 2025, down 9.0% since 2020, while Kentucky grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 1,902 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,406 (±270).
| Measure | Jenkins | Letcher County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,406 ±270 | 20,808 | −839 |
| Households | 694 ±123 | 8,463 | −244 |
| Average household size | 2.01 ±0.27 | 2.42 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 967 ±131 | 10,603 | no clear change |
Jenkins's population since 2000
From 2,401 in 2000 to 1,733 in 2025: down 27.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Jenkins 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 Jenkins?
The median resident of Jenkins is 42.9 years old; 20.2% are under 18 and 21.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.0%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.7%.
| Measure | Jenkins | Letcher County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.9 ±5.7 | 43.5 | +9.7 |
| Under 18 years | 20.2% ±6.8 pts | 21.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 21.1% ±5.9 pts | 20.9% | – |
| Male | 52.0% ±5.2 pts | 50.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.0% ±2.6 pts | 96.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.7% ±2.4 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.5% ±4.7 pts | 6.2% | – |
| With a disability | 34.8% ±7.6 pts | 29.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.1% ±3.4 pts | 3.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 82.1% ±6.8 pts | 82.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.5% ±6.2 pts | 12.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 1.6% ±1.4 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.2% ±6.9 pts | 88.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
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 Jenkins earn?
Half of Jenkins's 694 households earn less than $27,200 a year (±$8,046), against $41,793 in Letcher County and $63,726 in Kentucky. In 2015-2019 it was $34,168 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 32.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Jenkins | Letcher County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $27,200 ±$8,046 | $41,793 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $46,583 ±$10,177 | $53,066 | – |
| Per capita income | $22,925 ±$3,451 | $22,681 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 32.3% ±8.7 pts | 24.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 25.0% ±16.6 pts | 28.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 43.2% ±9.9 pts | 27.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.0% ±6.4 pts | 87.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.7% ±6.2 pts | 86.6% | – |
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 Jenkins?
Owners occupy 60.4% of Jenkins's occupied homes and renters 39.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $80,200 by its owner (±$19,456). The median renter pays $455 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Jenkins | Letcher County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $80,200 ±$19,456 | $67,400 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $455 ±$169 | $669 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 13.9% ±12.1 pts | 33.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,165 ±$347 | $1,079 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 60.4% ±10.3 pts | 74.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 39.6% ±10.3 pts | 25.9% | – |
| Housing units | 967 ±131 | 10,603 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.5% ±4.0 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 10.8% ±16.7 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 68.8% ±8.8 pts | 62.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 9.6% ±4.3 pts | 32.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.6% ±6.6 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 47.1% ±10.6 pts | 16.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 12.2% ±6.6 pts | 6.5% | – |
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 do people in Jenkins work and get to work?
64.9% of Jenkins's workers drive alone and 16.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.2 minutes.
| Measure | Jenkins | Letcher County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 42.4% ±6.9 pts | 43.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% ±5.4 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 64.9% ±12.4 pts | 71.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 16.6% ±8.4 pts | 15.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±7.7 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 16.6% ±10.8 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.2 min ±4.8 | 28.3 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 Jenkins?
1 census tract lies mostly in Jenkins (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9501Letcher County | 1,985 | $28,920 |
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 Jenkins) · Census block assignment files
How does Jenkins compare with other places in Kentucky?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Jenkins is the 8,214th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 157th-most populous of 418 in Kentucky.
Jenkins ranks 222nd 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 | 157th | 418 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 200th | 204 |
| Residents per square mile | 226th | 232 |
| Median household income | 222nd | 230 |
| Per capita income | 196th | 232 |
| Median home value | 215th | 225 |
| Median gross rent | 210th | 217 |
| Poverty rate | 27th | 203 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 171st | 223 |
| Median age | 58th | 232 |
| Owner-occupied share | 104th | 229 |
| Work from home | 32nd | 130 |
| Travel time to work | 73rd | 232 |
Jenkins's figures with every place in Kentucky (CSV)
Every place in Kentucky, sortable · Compare Jenkins 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 Jenkins?
22 of the 57 figures for Jenkins 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 Jenkins 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 Jenkins.