City · Kentucky
Whitesburg, Kentucky
Whitesburg, city, in Letcher County, Kentucky. Whitesburg had 1,609 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 9.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,773 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,761 (±335). GEOID 2182776.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,609
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,773 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,761 ±335
Median household income
$29,189
±$13,390 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $63,726
Median home value
$111,700
±$17,929 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $205,600
Median gross rent
$640
±$37 (90% margin)
Kentucky: $967
Where is Whitesburg and what county is it in?
Whitesburg is a city in Letcher County, Kentucky. It covers 3.1 square miles of land, 566 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 Whitesburg, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,609 people lived in Whitesburg on July 1, 2025, down 9.3% since 2020, while Kentucky grew 2.2%. The 2020 Census counted 1,773 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,761 (±335).
| Measure | Whitesburg | Letcher County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,761 ±335 | 20,808 | −621 |
| Households | 716 ±149 | 8,463 | −245 |
| Average household size | 2.15 ±0.24 | 2.42 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 835 ±166 | 10,603 | −233 |
Whitesburg's population since 2000
From 1,600 in 2000 to 1,609 in 2025: up 0.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Whitesburg 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 Whitesburg?
The median resident of Whitesburg is 43.8 years old; 18.6% are under 18 and 28.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 95.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 2.0%.
| Measure | Whitesburg | Letcher County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.8 ±6.5 | 43.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.6% ±7.0 pts | 21.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 28.8% ±8.0 pts | 20.9% | – |
| Male | 46.0% ±5.2 pts | 50.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.0% ±3.4 pts | 0.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 95.2% ±3.7 pts | 96.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±1.1 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.6% ±1.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.2% ±1.3 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.9% ±2.5 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.2% ±5.3 pts | 6.2% | – |
| With a disability | 39.6% ±9.3 pts | 29.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.7% ±4.4 pts | 3.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.3% ±4.3 pts | 82.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 19.8% ±5.3 pts | 12.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 13.5% ±4.6 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 79.9% ±9.3 pts | 88.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.0% ±0.8 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 Whitesburg earn?
Half of Whitesburg's 716 households earn less than $29,189 a year (±$13,390), against $41,793 in Letcher County and $63,726 in Kentucky. In 2015-2019 it was $45,260 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 37.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Whitesburg | Letcher County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $29,189 ±$13,390 | $41,793 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $54,131 ±$10,313 | $53,066 | – |
| Per capita income | $24,353 ±$4,384 | $22,681 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 37.5% ±11.2 pts | 24.4% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 64.5% ±18.6 pts | 28.9% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 31.6% ±10.6 pts | 27.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.4% ±5.7 pts | 87.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.9% ±5.9 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 Whitesburg?
Owners occupy 52.7% of Whitesburg's occupied homes and renters 47.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $111,700 by its owner (±$17,929). The median renter pays $640 a month including utilities, and 57.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Whitesburg | Letcher County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $111,700 ±$17,929 | $67,400 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $640 ±$37 | $669 | −$60 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 57.0% ±18.6 pts | 33.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,281 ±$433 | $1,079 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 52.7% ±10.8 pts | 74.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 47.3% ±10.8 pts | 25.9% | – |
| Housing units | 835 ±166 | 10,603 | −233 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 4.6% ±7.8 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±10.5 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.2% ±11.1 pts | 62.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 16.4% ±6.5 pts | 32.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.7% ±3.4 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.6% ±1.1 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 18.0% ±7.2 pts | 16.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.8% ±4.2 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 many new homes is Whitesburg building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Whitesburg in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.6 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 Whitesburg work and get to work?
76.4% of Whitesburg's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 17.9 minutes.
| Measure | Whitesburg | Letcher County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 36.9% ±7.4 pts | 43.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 11.1% ±8.2 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 76.4% ±10.6 pts | 71.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.3% ±5.7 pts | 15.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±7.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 4.2% ±4.8 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.3% ±7.7 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.9 min ±5.3 | 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 Whitesburg?
No census tract lies mostly in Whitesburg; 3 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9504.04Letcher County | 2,649 | $28,438 |
| Tract 9504.01Letcher County | 2,695 | $46,513 |
| Tract 9504.03Letcher County | 2,165 | $57,548 |
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 Whitesburg) · Census block assignment files
How does Whitesburg compare with other places in Kentucky?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Whitesburg is the 8,502nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 167th-most populous of 418 in Kentucky.
Whitesburg ranks 217th 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 | 167th | 418 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 203rd | 204 |
| Residents per square mile | 198th | 232 |
| Median household income | 217th | 230 |
| Per capita income | 173rd | 232 |
| Median home value | 192nd | 225 |
| Median gross rent | 179th | 217 |
| Poverty rate | 15th | 203 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 130th | 223 |
| Median age | 47th | 232 |
| Owner-occupied share | 171st | 229 |
| Travel time to work | 192nd | 232 |
Whitesburg's figures with every place in Kentucky (CSV)
Every place in Kentucky, sortable · Compare Whitesburg 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 Whitesburg?
21 of the 57 figures for Whitesburg 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 Whitesburg 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 Whitesburg.