GUTHRIE-KY-FLOOD-1968-1, 1968
Guthrie’s story
159 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1968.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1867Guthrie is settled
GuthrieKY
Population
1,395
2025 Census estimate · +4.8% since 2020
Typical home
$197K
−7.3% in a year
Household income
$36K
median
Median age
33.3
years
Jobs based here
369
Balanced
Is Guthrie a good place to live?
The best of Guthrie’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for health. 33% of residents live below the poverty line in Guthrie, above both the Kentucky town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). No town in Kentucky scores lower than Guthrie on health. The median household income is $36K, and 33% of residents live below the poverty line. Guthrie has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Guthrie Historic District and Gray's Inn. Guthrie's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 85% of U.S. towns. Guthrie has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Guthrie stand out
Where Guthrie beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
Guthrie$197K
Kentucky$231K
Cost of livingA
3.2 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 92% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
2historic places
HistoryB+
Settled in 1867
2 places on the National Register
A history going back 159 years.
31 measures vs. Kentucky
2 better7 too close to call22 worse
| Widest gap | Guthrie | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 12% | 5.4% |
Worth knowing · HealthD−
Less healthy than 99% of U.S. towns
Trails KY on 22 of 31 CDC measures, beats it on 2
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Small town
1,395 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Guthrie grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Guthrie is from typical.
HealthNear the bottom of U.S. towns on CDC estimates; Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital 7.5 miles awayD−Open →Cost of livingAOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →SchoolsBehind 66% of Kentucky districts on tests and graduationCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.8 of 20; 7.1% of households have no car; 1.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SafetyBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →History2 places on the National Register; 2 notable people born hereB+Open →Civic life2.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.3; 11% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Guthrie: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Guthrie, and how to reach them.
PowerPennyrile Rural Electric Coop13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGuthrie Water Works1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Guthrie’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 hereTodd County ClerkTodd County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2026
ZIP code4223442234 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 Guthrie.
HealthD−
A larger share of adults say their health is fair or poor in Guthrie than in most of Kentucky or the rest of the country
36% of Guthrie adults say their health is fair or poor, against 23% in Kentucky’s towns and 19% across U.S. towns. 22% of adults report frequent physical distress in Guthrie. Among 142 Kentucky towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Guthrie.
1%healthier than U.S. townsD−Health Grade
| Guthrie | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Kentucky
2 better7 too close to call22 worse
| What stands out | Guthrie | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.8% | 14.2% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.5% | 8.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 12% | 5.4% |
Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital
7.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Guthrie, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Guthrie
Guthrie has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Guthrie is 89°F.
89°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter30–49°
Spring47–70°
Summer66–88°
Fall48–71°
Nov 1
typical first frost
Apr 3
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
89°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
SafetyB
Guthrie reports less crime per resident than 64% of U.S. towns
Guthrie’s property crime rate is 2.9 per 1,000 residents.
64%of U.S. towns report more crimeBSafety Grade
| Guthrie | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Guthrie0.7
Kentucky2.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Guthrie2.9
Kentucky12.8
U.S.15.5
64th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
4
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Most working residents commute out of Guthrie
Most working residents leave Guthrie for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Guthrie has added 148 jobs, to 369 in 2023. Only 9 of the 143 Kentucky towns we compare have a lower median household income than Guthrie.
8%work in town
| Guthrie | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.9% | 15% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Guthrie8%
Clarksville13%
Hopkinsville12%
Elkton11%
Russellville3%
16 mi
median commute distance
369
jobs based in Guthrie
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 34% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A
Guthrie’s typical home value is about $197K
The typical Guthrie home is worth about $197,000, down 7.3% in a year, 15% below the Kentucky typical home. 55% of Guthrie households own their home.
$197KZillow home value
| Guthrie | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 59% | 73% |
| Median rent | $909 a month | $934 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Guthrie$197K
Kentucky$231K
−7.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 39 attractions →Nissan Stadium and 16 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Guthrie. Close and well known come first.
Big draw40 mi Stadium & arenaNissan Stadium
7 mi CaveBell Witch Cave
40 mi MuseumParthenon
15 mi State parkJefferson Davis State Historic Site40 mi MuseumHouse of Cash
39 mi Stadium & arenaFirst Horizon ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Nissan Stadium: Kaldari, CC0 · Bell Witch Cave: Www78, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Parthenon: Mayur Phadtare, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jefferson Davis State Historic Site: Bbadgett, CC BY-SA 3.0 · First Horizon Park: Shane Raynor, CC BY-SA 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Guthrie
19pages on Guthrie
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 66% of KY districtsSafetyB0.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthD−Better than KY on 2 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingA$197K typical home · down 7.3% in a yearWork & commuteD$36K median household income · 369 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Guthrie
About 2 of every 100 Guthrie residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
About Guthrie
City in Kentucky, United States
Guthrie is a home rule-class city in Todd County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 1,330 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1867
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 548 ft
- ZIP code
- 42234
- Area code
- 270
Questions about Guthrie
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Guthrie, 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 Guthrie, KY known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Robert Penn Warren and Kent Greenfield.