Lake Cumberland dam, 2010
Albany’s story
189 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2010.
- 1837Albany is settled
AlbanyKY
A town of 1,729, settled in 1837.
Photo: W.marsh · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,729
2025 Census estimate · −1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$141K
−11.5% in a year
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
46.4
years
Jobs based here
1,322
A job hub
Is Albany a good place to live?
The best of Albany’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for safety; the weakest is a D for health. Of the 140 Kentucky towns we compare, none has a lower median rent than Albany. The median household income is $44K, and 14% of residents live below the poverty line. Of the 116 Kentucky towns we compare, none has a lower property crime rate than Albany. On civic life, just 3 of Kentucky’s 204 towns do worse. Albany has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Albany stand out
Where Albany beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here1,322
Residents who work643
Work
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 94% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Typical home value
Albany$141K
Kentucky$231K
Cost of livingA
3.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 91% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
31 measures vs. Kentucky
1 better12 too close to call18 worse
| Widest gap | Albany | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 9.5% | 5.4% |
Worth knowing · HealthD
Less healthy than 95% of U.S. towns
Trails KY on 18 of 31 CDC measures, beats it on 1
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A shrinking town
Albany has shrunk 15% since 2010
2,033 counted in 2010 and 1,760 in 2020; an estimated 1,729 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Albany grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Albany is from typical.
HealthThe Medical Center at Albany 0.7 miles awayDOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →SafetyA−Open →SchoolsCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.3 of 20; 6.6% of households have no car; 0.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →History3 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life1.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Albany: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Albany, and how to reach them.
PowerSouth Kentucky Rural E C C13.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAlbany Water WorksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Albany’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Kentucky you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereClinton County ClerkClinton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2019
ZIP code4260242602 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Albany.
HealthD
Albany stands out in Kentucky and nationally: a larger share of its adults report frequent physical distress
20% of adults report frequent physical distress in Albany, against 15% in Kentucky’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 31% of Albany adults say their health is fair or poor. No town among the 142 in Kentucky we compare has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Albany.
5%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Albany | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 23% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Kentucky
1 better12 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Albany | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84.7% | 81.3% |
| More uninsured adults | 9.5% | 5.4% |
The Medical Center at Albany
0.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC
On state tests, Albany’s schools trail 75% of Kentucky districts
Its public schools are run by the Clinton County school district. Its one school is below.
25%of KY districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 1–4 | Grades 1–4 | 486 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
A job hub: Albany has 2.1 jobs for every working resident and draws in 1,180 commuters
About one in 5 of Albany’s working residents works in town. At 17 minutes, Albany’s average trip to work is below both Kentucky’s towns (22 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Albany has lost 402 jobs, to 1,322 in 2023.
22%work in town
| Albany | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 15% | 8% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Albany22%
Monticello5%
Burkesville4%
Lexington4%
Somerset3%
15 mi
median commute distance
1,322
jobs based in Albany
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 31% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
83%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Albany1.1
Kentucky2.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Albany0.6
Kentucky12.8
U.S.15.5
83rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
1
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade A
The typical home in Albany is valued at about $141K
The typical Albany home is worth about $141,000, down 11.5% in a year, 39% below the Kentucky typical home. 41% of households own their home in Albany.
$141KZillow home value
Typical home value
Albany$141K
Kentucky$231K
−11.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Albany has mild winters and pleasant summers
Albany has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 27° and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–48°
Spring45–68°
Summer64–85°
Fall46–70°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 12
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Albany
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Albany
19pages on Albany
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 75% of KY districts · 1 schoolSafetyA−1.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than KY on 1 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingA$141K typical home · down 11.5% in a yearWork & commuteD$44K median household income · 1,322 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 63% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Albany; the nearest are
Lindsey Wilson CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Columbia29.8 mi$27,808 tuitionSomerset Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Somerset38.3 mi$4,728 in-state tuitionTennessee Technological UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Cookeville, TN41.1 mi$11,376 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Albany residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,180 people come to Albany for work
Where Albany’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,322jobs based in Albany
22%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Albany
3 notable people were born in Albany.
About Albany
City in Kentucky, United States
Albany is a home rule-class city in Clinton County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 1,760 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Clinton County. It is located on U.S. Route 127, about 6 miles (10 km) north of the Tennessee border.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1838
- Area
- 2.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 961 ft
- ZIP code
- 42602
- Area code
- 606
Questions about Albany
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Albany, KY expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
What is Albany, KY known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Sam C. Ford and Jeff Hoover.