Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 635, incorporated in 1872.
37% of residents live below the poverty line in Barlow, above both Kentucky’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only one of the 140 Kentucky towns we compare has a lower median rent than Barlow. Barlow House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Barlow has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Barlow beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 532 in 1910, 653 in 2020. The archive holds 15 old photos and papers going back to 1903 and 3 maps from 1931 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Barlow, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Barlow.
48% of households own their home in Barlow, against 59% in Kentucky’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Values fell 7.3% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
In Barlow, the risk rating from FEMA is 87 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 50% come from earthquakes and 24% from drought. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Barlow after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2011.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Half the trips to work are shorter than 22 miles. Jobs in Barlow fell by 42 from 2013 to 2023, to 77. The town’s mean commuting time stands at 21 minutes. The top destinations are Paducah (24%), La Center (8%) and Calvert City (3%).
| Barlow | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $27,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 15% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Barlow brings chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 27° and about 7 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
13% of adults have diabetes in Barlow. Two figures for adults in the town: 13% binge drink, 40% have high blood pressure.
| Barlow | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | Barlow | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 27.3% | 18.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Barlow. Close and well known come first.
37 mi National forestShawnee National Forest7 mi Ancient siteFort Defiance
8 mi MuseumMagnolia Manor
31 mi Ancient siteKincaid Mounds State Historic Site
20 mi MuseumColumbus-Belmont State ParkShawnee National Forest: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Magnolia Manor: MuZemike, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site: Herb Roe, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Columbus-Belmont State Park: Knowledgeum at en.wikipedia, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Barlow; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Barlow residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
Where Barlow’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Kentucky, United States
Barlow is a home rule-class city in Ballard County, Kentucky, in the United States. The city was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1872 as Barlow City and later reincorporated in 1903. The population was 653 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Paducah, KY-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Barlow has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Barlow was incorporated in 1872 and has 1 place on the National Register of Historic Places. 2 notable people were born here, including Eddie Moore and Earl Grace.
