Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Manchester’s best subject grade is a B+ for history; its weakest is a D− for health. 41% of residents live below the poverty line in Manchester, where Kentucky’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 1 of Kentucky’s 237 towns score lower on health. The median household income is $24K, and 41% of residents live below the poverty line. No town in Kentucky scores lower than Manchester on civic life. Manchester Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Manchester has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Manchester beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Manchester | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 10.2% | 5.4% |
1,255 counted in 2010 and 1,512 in 2020; an estimated 1,411 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Manchester is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 97 in 1880, 1,512 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1952 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Manchester, 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 Manchester.
36% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Manchester, above both the Kentucky town median (23%) and the median of U.S. towns (19%). 22% of adults report frequent mental distress in Manchester. No town among the 142 in Kentucky we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Manchester.
| Manchester | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Manchester | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.9% | 14.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84.3% | 81.3% |
| More uninsured adults | 10.2% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Clay County school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 387 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
About one in 4 of Manchester’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Manchester grew to 1,770 in 2023, 161 more than in 2013. The top destinations are London (11%), Lexington (7%) and Somerset (3%).
| Manchester | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 15% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The median rent in Manchester is $596 a month. Typical home values fell 9.6% in the year to September 2026. 42% of Manchester households own their home.
| Manchester | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 42% | 59% | 73% |
| Median rent | $596 a month | $934 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 91% of U.S. communities. Since 1989, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Manchester.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Manchester has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 25° and about 9 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Manchester’s property crime rate is 2.8 per 1,000 residents.
| Manchester | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.8 per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Goose Creek Salt Works Pioneer Village | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Manchester; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Manchester residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
3 notable people were born in Manchester.
City in Kentucky, United States
Manchester is a home rule-class city in Clay County, Kentucky, in the United States. Manchester is part of the Corbin KY Micropolitan statistical area, as is the entirety of Clay County, and is the seat of its county and the home of a minimum- and medium-security federal prison. As of the 2020 census, Manchester had a population of 1,512.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
3 notable people were born here, including Bert T. Combs and Artishia Gilbert.
