Payne GapKY
A town of 440, settled in 1935.
Is Payne Gap a good place to live?
No town among the 143 in Kentucky we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Payne Gap. 11% of the land in Payne Gap is conserved, above both the Kentucky town median (1.7%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Payne Gap has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
440 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Payne Gap: who provides what
Payne Gap is unincorporated, so Letcher 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 Payne Gap.
Very high risk in Payne Gap, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Payne Gap’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Payne Gap for work: only 0% work in town. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Payne Gap, against 16% in Kentucky’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Whitesburg (19%), Pikeville (9%) and Hazard (7%).
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Compared with most of Kentucky and the rest of the country, a typical July afternoon in Payne Gap is cooler
Payne Gap’s July high is 83°F. Payne Gap has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
More of Payne Gap’s adults say their health is fair or poor than in the typical Kentucky or U.S. town
33% of Payne Gap adults say their health is fair or poor. Among 142 Kentucky towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Payne Gap. 20% of Payne Gap adults report frequent mental distress.
| Payne Gap | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Payne Gap | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.8% | 14.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 85.4% | 81.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 47.5% | 18.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Payne Gap
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Payne Gap
About 0 of every 100 Payne Gap residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
100% of working residents leave Payne Gap for work
Where Payne Gap’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Payne Gap
Unincorporated community in Kentucky, United States
Payne Gap is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Letcher County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 census, Payne Gap had a population of 347. U.S. Route 119 passes through the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,762 ft
Questions about Payne Gap
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Payne Gap, KY a good place to live?
Payne Gap has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.