• county
  • FIPS 21095
  • Largest town: Harlan

Harlan County, Kentucky

Harlan County had 25,052 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 465.8 square miles of land. It ranks 45th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 17th by land area.

Population
25,052
#45 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,622 in US
Area
465.8 sq mi
#17 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,210 in US
Density
54 / sq mi
#67 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,402 in US
Median household income
$36,916
#115 of 120 in Kentucky · #3,118 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Harlan County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Harlan County

Harlan County population, land area and income

Harlan County had 25,052 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 465.8 square miles of land. It ranks 45th of 120 in Kentucky by population and 17th by land area. That works out to 53.8 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Kentucky has 19,740 residents; Harlan County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $36,916 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

25,052

3144th1st

1622nd of 3,144 (US)

Land area

466 sq mi

3144th1st

2210th of 3,144 (US)

Density

53.8 / sq mi

3144th1st

1402nd of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$36,916

3143rd1st

3118th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

25,052

120th1st

45th of 120 (KY)

Land area

466 sq mi

120th1st

17th of 120 (KY)

Density

53.8 / sq mi

120th1st

67th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$36,916

120th1st

115th of 120 (KY)

How Harlan County's population changed since 2020

Harlan County lost 1,706 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 6.4%. That ranks 118th of 120 in Kentucky for growth. The median Kentucky county changed by +1.4%, and the state as a whole by +1.8%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Harlan County recorded 1,248 births and 2,263 deaths, a natural change of -1,015. Net international migration added +0 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -766. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 1,015 people.

26.8k202026.1k202125.6k202225.3k202325.1k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
1,248
Deaths
2,263
Net international migration
+0
Net domestic migration
-766
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-250

Where Harlan County is

The Census internal point of Harlan County is at 36.859200, -83.221500. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades Kentucky's 120 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Harlan County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Adair County: +1.9%Kenton County: +3.3%Owen County: +1.2%Morgan County: +4.1%Bracken County: +1.1%Edmonson County: +4.0%Trigg County: +3.4%Jackson County: +3.0%Spencer County: +6.8%Clark County: +1.7%Jessamine County: +6.6%Green County: +3.8%Henry County: +3.2%Graves County: +0.8%Webster County: -1.3%Washington County: +1.9%Ohio County: +0.8%Knott County: -5.1%Meade County: +1.4%Carroll County: +2.5%Scott County: +7.2%Lincoln County: +2.7%Greenup County: -1.7%Boyle County: +2.1%Hardin County: +1.8%Nelson County: +4.1%Hart County: +3.2%Christian County: -2.4%Carlisle County: -0.6%Crittenden County: -0.2%Elliott County: -1.0%Garrard County: +6.3%Larue County: +1.7%Lee County: -0.7%Leslie County: -7.1%Hancock County: -1.0%Lewis County: -1.6%Lyon County: +4.6%McLean County: -0.1%Magoffin County: -4.2%Martin County: -4.9%Mason County: -1.1%Rockcastle County: +1.0%Menifee County: +3.2%Russell County: +2.6%Whitley County: +1.5%Todd County: +3.9%Union County: -3.5%Wolfe County: -2.9%Bell County: -3.9%Boyd County: -0.9%Butler County: +1.9%Metcalfe County: +2.7%Grant County: +2.8%Simpson County: +3.7%Pike County: -5.2%Gallatin County: +1.5%Harlan County: -6.4%Fayette County: +2.1%Logan County: +3.5%Muhlenberg County: -1.2%Bath County: +1.8%Mercer County: +3.8%Barren County: +2.5%Franklin County: +1.6%Bullitt County: +4.2%Boone County: +5.6%Campbell County: +0.9%Jefferson County: +1.4%Wayne County: +0.4%Ballard County: -1.1%Anderson County: +4.1%Pulaski County: +2.7%Knox County: -1.7%Laurel County: +1.0%Breckinridge County: +3.8%Oldham County: +4.2%Letcher County: -6.2%Lawrence County: -3.1%McCracken County: -0.6%Nicholas County: +3.7%Owsley County: -2.6%Powell County: -1.3%Bourbon County: +0.2%Calloway County: +3.7%Henderson County: -1.1%Clinton County: -0.5%Warren County: +9.6%Montgomery County: +2.4%Floyd County: -3.5%Woodford County: +3.1%Hopkins County: -0.3%Johnson County: -2.4%Marshall County: +0.1%Estill County: -1.1%Cumberland County: +3.2%Fleming County: +3.3%Madison County: +7.1%Carter County: -1.9%Allen County: +7.1%Daviess County: +1.0%Harrison County: +4.3%Perry County: -5.7%Fulton County: -3.5%Clay County: -3.5%Robertson County: +9.1%Trimble County: +1.5%Taylor County: +3.1%Shelby County: +3.9%McCreary County: -0.2%Breathitt County: -6.5%Livingston County: -0.6%Hickman County: -3.0%Rowan County: -0.2%Casey County: +0.2%Monroe County: -1.4%Marion County: +1.3%Grayson County: +2.3%Caldwell County: -0.2%Pendleton County: +1.3%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.6%
  2. < +0.2%
  3. < +1.9%
  4. < +3.7%
  5. ≥ +3.7%
no data

Orange pin: Harlan County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
36.859200, -83.221500
DMS
36°51'33.12"N 83°13'17.40"W
UTM
17N 301961.8E 4081556.8N
Geohash
dnscdnpbq
Plus code
868RVQ5H+MC

Towns in Harlan County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Harlan County, 3,619 people together, or 14% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Harlan County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Harlan with 1,831.

  1. 01Harlan1,831
  2. 02Cumberland1,788
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Harlan County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Harlan County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Wise County, VA, with 34,973 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 128.9 miles NW of Harlan County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Knoxville, TN (population 198,722), 73.5 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Kingsport, TN (population 57,109), 44.3 miles away.

Harlan County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Harlan County is 21095: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 095. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $36,916.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Harlan County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 25,052. That is down 1,706 people (6.4%) from the July 2020 estimate of 26,758.

What is the FIPS code of Harlan County?

21095. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (095) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Harlan County?

Harlan, with 1,831 residents inside Harlan County in 2024.

Which counties border Harlan County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Wise County, VA; Perry County, KY; Bell County, KY; Lee County, VA; Letcher County, KY; Leslie County, KY.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.