Pine KnotKY
A town of 1,051, settled in 1887.
Is Pine Knot a good place to live?
Pine Knot’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. 53% of residents live below the poverty line in Pine Knot, where Kentucky’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On health, just 16 of Kentucky’s 237 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 89% of U.S. towns. Pine Knot has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Pine Knot stand out
Where Pine Knot beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
| Widest gap | Pine Knot | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 10.9% | 5.4% |
Pine Knot has shrunk 15% from 2010 to 2020
1,621 counted in 2010 and 1,380 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Pine Knot grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Pine Knot is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Pine Knot: who provides what
Pine Knot is unincorporated, so McCreary 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 Pine Knot.
More of Pine Knot’s adults say their health is fair or poor than in the typical Kentucky or U.S. town
34% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Pine Knot, above both Kentucky’s towns (23%) and U.S. towns (19%). 21% of Pine Knot adults report frequent physical distress. Among 142 Kentucky towns, just 3 have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Pine Knot.
| Pine Knot | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Pine Knot | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 10.9% | 5.4% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 25.8% | 15.5% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 14.3% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Pine Knot’s schools rank behind 58% of Kentucky districts
Its public schools are run by the McCreary County school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Knot PrimaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 425 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
Pine Knot stands out in Kentucky and nationally, with fewer of its households who own their home
32% of households own their home in Pine Knot. No town among the 140 in Kentucky we compare has a lower median rent than Pine Knot. Typical home values fell 4.8% in the year to September 2026.
| Pine Knot | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 32% | 59% | 73% |
| Median rent | $291 a month | $934 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Pine Knot faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 71% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Pine Knot
Pine Knot has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. No town among the 143 in Kentucky we compare has a lower July high than Pine Knot.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A job hub: Pine Knot has 1.3 jobs for every working resident and draws in 462 commuters
Most working residents leave Pine Knot for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Pine Knot grew to 486 in 2023, 180 more than in 2013. Pine Knot’s average trip to work is 21 minutes.
| Pine Knot | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 6.2% | 15% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Cumberland Falls and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pine Knot. Close and well known come first.
13 mi WaterfallCumberland Falls
37 mi LakeLake Cumberland
4 mi National RiverBig South Fork National River and Recreation Area774K visitors a year
37 mi State parkFrozen Head State Park
37 mi National Historical ParkCumberland Gap National Historical Park765K visitors a year
6 mi MuseumBlue HeronPhoto credits
Cumberland Falls: ChrisKuehl, Public domain · Lake Cumberland: Censusdata at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0 · Frozen Head State Park: Brian Stansberry (photographer), CC BY 3.0 · Cumberland Gap National Historical Park: J654567, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Heron: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
Everything we know about Pine Knot
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Pine Knot; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Pine Knot residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
1,051 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Questions about Pine Knot
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pine Knot, 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−.