Elliott County, Kentucky courthouse, 2007
Sandy Hook’s story
176 years in pictures
Census counts: 62 in 1870, 641 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 3 maps from 1950 on.
- 1850Sandy Hook is settled
Sandy HookKY
The town was settled in 1850 and has 627 residents today.
Photo: W.marsh · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
627
2025 Census estimate · −2% since 2020
Median home value
$132K
Census ACS
Median age
50.5
years
Jobs based here
398
A job hub
Is Sandy Hook a good place to live?
Sandy Hook’s average trip to work is 40 minutes, above both the Kentucky town median (22 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 140 in Kentucky we compare has a lower typical rent than Sandy Hook. Sandy Hook has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Sandy Hook stand out
Where Sandy Hook beats most towns.
Small town
627 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Sandy Hook: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sandy Hook, and how to reach them.
PowerGrayson Rural Electric Coop16.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSandy Hook Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Sandy Hook’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Kentucky you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereElliott County ClerkElliott County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2017
ZIP code4117141171 100%Census 2020
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 Sandy Hook.
Work & commute
A larger share of residents in Sandy Hook live below the poverty line than in the typical Kentucky or U.S. town
Most people who work leave Sandy Hook to do it: just 15% work in town. Since 2013, Sandy Hook has lost 68 jobs, to 398 in 2023. The top destinations are Morehead (10%), West Liberty (6%) and Olive Hill (3%). The median commute is under 19 miles.
15%work in town
| Sandy Hook | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 45% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 15% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Sandy Hook15%
Morehead10%
West Liberty6%
Olive Hill3%
Lexington2%
19 mi
median commute distance
398
jobs based in Sandy Hook
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Sandy Hook’s kids attend
Two of its 3 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. The Elliott County school district runs its public schools. 3 public schools serve Sandy Hook, with 668 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elliott County Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 190 | C |
| Elliott County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 293 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Sandy Hook has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
74% of Sandy Hook’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 6%. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 71% of U.S. communities.
71risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Sandy Hook, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 24° and about 12 inches of snow falls in a winter.
12″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–46°
Spring41–68°
Summer62–86°
Fall44–69°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Sandy Hook stands out in Kentucky and nationally: a larger share of its adults smoke cigarettes
Of the 142 Kentucky towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Sandy Hook. The share of adults in Sandy Hook who binge drink: 10%. Against the Kentucky average, Sandy Hook comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 31, and behind on 21.
| Sandy Hook | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Kentucky
2 better8 too close to call21 worse
| What stands out | Sandy Hook | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.4% | 14.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84.7% | 81.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 40.6% | 18.9% |
Morgan County ARH Hospital
14.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sandy Hook
18pages on Sandy Hook
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sandy Hook; the nearest are
Morehead State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Morehead18.1 mi$10,024 in-state tuitionBig Sandy Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Prestonsburg33.7 mi$4,728 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Sandy Hook residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
A job hub
Every workday, about 373 people come to Sandy Hook for work
Where Sandy Hook’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
398jobs based in Sandy Hook
15%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Sandy Hook
City in Kentucky, United States
Sandy Hook is a home rule-class city beside the Little Sandy River in Elliott County, Kentucky, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, Sandy Hook had a population of 641. Sandy Hook is the county seat of Elliott County, which is a dry county. It is illegal to sell alcohol within the city. The Little Sandy Correctional Complex, a medium-security prison operated by the Kentucky Department of Corrections, is located 6 miles (10 km) northeast of Sandy Hook.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1850
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 771 ft
- ZIP code
- 41171
- Area code
- 606
Questions about Sandy Hook
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sandy Hook, KY a good place to live?
Sandy Hook has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.