Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Population 91: a town settled in 1933.
100% of residents live below the poverty line in Freeburn, against 16% in Kentucky’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Of the 143 Kentucky towns we compare, none has a lower age of the median resident than Freeburn. Freeburn’s trail network density is 1.0 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Kentucky’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Freeburn has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 4 maps from 1917 on.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Ordered by what stands out in Freeburn.
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Freeburn after 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2025. FEMA puts 87% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 96% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Freeburn, 1.3% of working residents work locally. The top destinations are Pikeville (19%), Prestonsburg (5%) and Seymour (1%). For half of commuters, work is under 23 miles away.
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The range runs from 26° on a January night to 87° on a July afternoon, with about 13 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The share of adults in Freeburn who binge drink: 11%. No town among the 142 in Kentucky we compare has a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Freeburn. The town does better than the Kentucky average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and worse on 22. Only 6 of the 142 Kentucky towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Freeburn.
| Freeburn | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Freeburn | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11% | 14.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84.7% | 81.3% |
| More uninsured adults | 10% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Freeburn is unincorporated, so Pike County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Where Freeburn’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
None within 15 miles of Freeburn; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Freeburn residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
Unincorporated community & census-designated place in Kentucky, United States
Freeburn is a census-designated place, unincorporated community and coal town in Pike County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 census, Freeburn had a population of 296. A post office called Liss was established in the community in 1911. In 1932, it was renamed Freeburn supposedly for a freeburning coal seam fire.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Freeburn has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.