Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 593, settled in 1917.
37% of residents live below the poverty line in Lynch, above both Kentucky’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). No town among the 143 in Kentucky we compare has a higher average trip to work than Lynch. Lynch Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Lynch has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 1,517 in 1970, 658 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 4 maps from 1922 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lynch, 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 Lynch.
Lynch’s FEMA risk score is 93 of 100, above both the Kentucky town median (48 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). One flood insurance claim has been paid in Lynch since 1978.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Lynch for work: only 0% work in town. The median household income in Lynch is $30,000. The top destinations are Cumberland (6%), Corbin (6%) and Lexington (6%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Lynch’s July high is 81°F. Lynch has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
No violent or property crimes were reported in Lynch in 2025. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Lynch is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Lynch beats the Kentucky average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 20% of adults have diabetes in Lynch. Of the 142 Kentucky towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Lynch.
| Lynch | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 14% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Lynch | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.1% | 14.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 86% | 81.3% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 6.5% | 4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Lynch
About 6 of every 100 Lynch residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kentucky.
Where Lynch’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Lynch.
City in Kentucky, United States
Lynch is a home rule-class city in Harlan County, Kentucky, United States. In the 2020 census the city population was 658, down from 747 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lynch has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
3 notable people were born here, including Juanita M. Kreps and Louise Slaughter.
