City · Kentucky
Lynch, Kentucky
Lynch, city, in Harlan County, Kentucky. Lynch had 593 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 9.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 658 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 709 (±209). GEOID 2148540.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
593
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 658 · ACS 2020-2024: 709 ±209
Median household income
$30,114
±$4,597 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $63,726
Median home value
$58,600
±$14,315 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $205,600
Median gross rent
$889
±$287 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $967
Where is Lynch and what county is it in?
Lynch is a city in Harlan County, Kentucky. It covers 0.3 square miles of land, 2,201 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 Lynch, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 593 people lived in Lynch on July 1, 2025, down 9.3% since 2020, while Kentucky grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 658 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 709 (±209).
| Measure | Lynch | Harlan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 709 ±209 | 25,772 | no clear change |
| Households | 264 ±77 | 10,731 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.69 ±0.58 | 2.35 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 428 ±93 | 13,036 | no clear change |
Lynch's population since 2000
From 900 in 2000 to 593 in 2025: down 34.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Lynch 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 Lynch?
The median resident of Lynch is 43.8 years old; 25.0% are under 18 and 20.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.0%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 8.0%.
| Measure | Lynch | Harlan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.8 ±10.9 | 40.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 25.0% ±13.5 pts | 23.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.9% ±11.9 pts | 19.5% | – |
| Male | 40.1% ±6.4 pts | 48.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 87.0% ±8.3 pts | 93.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 8.0% ±7.1 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.9% ±5.3 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±5.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.2% ±3.3 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.6% ±5.6 pts | 5.7% | – |
| With a disability | 34.1% ±15.5 pts | 27.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.5% ±5.4 pts | 4.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.9% ±8.0 pts | 81.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 10.4% ±7.5 pts | 13.0% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.5% ±5.9 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.4% ±6.6 pts | 90.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 1.8% | – |
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 Lynch earn?
Half of Lynch's 264 households earn less than $30,114 a year (±$4,597), against $41,693 in Harlan County and $63,726 in Kentucky. In 2015-2019 the median was $47,335 in 2024 dollars, so it fell by $17,221 after inflation. 36.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Lynch | Harlan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $30,114 ±$4,597 | $41,693 | −$17,221 |
| Mean household income | $45,572 ±$10,722 | $55,003 | – |
| Per capita income | $17,474 ±$4,350 | $22,319 | −$8,657 |
| People below the poverty line | 36.7% ±15.2 pts | 27.4% | +18.7 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 44.6% ±36.0 pts | 35.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 22.0% ±11.7 pts | 26.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 81.1% ±11.8 pts | 88.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.3% ±12.2 pts | 84.2% | – |
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 Lynch?
Owners occupy 66.3% of Lynch's occupied homes and renters 33.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $58,600 by its owner (±$14,315). The median renter pays $889 a month including utilities, and 78.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Lynch | Harlan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $58,600 ±$14,315 | $73,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $889 ±$287 | $678 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 78.9% ±25.9 pts | 41.1% | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 66.3% ±13.6 pts | 71.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 33.7% ±13.6 pts | 28.4% | – |
| Housing units | 428 ±93 | 13,036 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.9% ±7.1 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±32.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 81.1% ±9.1 pts | 67.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.0% ±3.5 pts | 19.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.6% ±3.3 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 79.9% ±8.3 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.8% ±9.9 pts | 8.1% | – |
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 Lynch work and get to work?
77.3% of Lynch's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 32.9 minutes.
| Measure | Lynch | Harlan County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 42.3% ±16.1 pts | 41.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% ±5.7 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 77.3% ±21.2 pts | 76.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.8% ±15.8 pts | 14.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 10.7% ±14.9 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±15.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.2% ±3.4 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 32.9 min ±10.1 | 23.8 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 Lynch?
No census tract lies mostly in Lynch; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9701Harlan County | 1,596 | $41,310 |
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 Lynch) · Census block assignment files
How does Lynch compare with other places in Kentucky?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Lynch is the 12,506th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 280th-most populous of 418 in Kentucky.
Lynch is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 280th | 418 |
Lynch's figures with every place in Kentucky (CSV)
Every place in Kentucky, sortable · Compare Lynch 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 Lynch?
25 of the 56 figures for Lynch 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 Lynch 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 Lynch.