McDowellKY
The town was settled in 1879 and has 718 residents today.
Is McDowell a good place to live?
72% of residents live below the poverty line in McDowell, above both Kentucky’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Of the 120 Kentucky towns we compare, none has a lower typical home value than McDowell. McDowell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes McDowell stand out
Where McDowell beats most towns.
718 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to McDowell: who provides what
McDowell is unincorporated, so Floyd 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in McDowell.
A typical McDowell home is worth about $63K
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home lost 25% of its value. 60% of McDowell households live in a home they own.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
With 1.9 jobs for every working resident, McDowell draws in 255 commuters
Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in McDowell rose by 156, to 259. For most workers, McDowell is a place to come home to: only 3% work in town. The top destinations are Prestonsburg (15%), Pikeville (7%) and Lexington (4%). Half of commuters travel less than 25 miles.
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The FEMA risk score in McDowell is higher than in most of Kentucky or the rest of the country
99% of McDowell’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding. Federal aid has come to McDowell households in 5 declared disasters; the latest was in 2025. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 100% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Mild winters and pleasant summers in McDowell
The range runs from 26° on a January night to 87° on a July afternoon, with about 4 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Fewer of McDowell’s adults binge drink than in the typical Kentucky or U.S. town
Among 142 Kentucky towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than McDowell. For adults here, the share who smoke cigarettes is 23%. CDC measures, 31 in all: McDowell beats Kentucky on 1 and trails on 19.
| McDowell | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 27% | 23% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 19% |
| What stands out | McDowell | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.4% | 14.2% |
| More uninsured adults | 8% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about McDowell
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of McDowell
About 0 of every 100 McDowell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
Every workday, about 255 people come to McDowell for work
Where McDowell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About McDowell
Unincorporated community in Kentucky, United States
McDowell is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Floyd County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 census, McDowell had a population of 661.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 823 ft
- ZIP code
- 41647
Questions about McDowell
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is McDowell, KY a good place to live?
McDowell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.