Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
32% of residents live below the poverty line in Smithland, where Kentucky’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Among 120 Kentucky towns, just 2 have a lower value of a typical home than Smithland. Smithland has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Gower House and Richard Olive House. Smithland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Smithland beats most towns.
Census counts: 99 in 1810, a peak of 882 in 1850, 240 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1780 and 3 maps from 1954 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Smithland, 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 Smithland.
The top destinations are Paducah (28%), Calvert City (10%) and Benton (3%). Most people who work leave Smithland to do it: just 8% work in town. In Smithland, the typical journey to work is 29 minutes, above both Kentucky’s towns (22 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Smithland has added 27 jobs, to 392 in 2023.
| Smithland | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.5% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its one school is below. Public schools: the Livingston County school district. The largest public high school is Livingston Central High School, with 339 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Livingston Central High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 339 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Typical home values fell 14% in the year to September 2026. In Smithland, just over two thirds of households live in a home they own. The midpoint rent for Smithland comes to $1,107 a month.
| Smithland | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 68% | 59% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,107 a month | $934 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Since 1979, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Smithland. Compared with just over four fifths of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is higher. Expected losses in Smithland break down as 31% from inland flooding and 27% from earthquakes. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2011.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
People 65 and older are 29% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 14% of residents (23% statewide). Just over a fifth of Smithland adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.5 points. Across Kentucky, 50.5% of residents are women. Among residents 35 to 44, 86% are men (KY 50%).
| Smithland | KY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.4% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.4% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.2% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.9% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.3% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.8% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.3% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6% | 11.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 42.9% | 32.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.4% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.9% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.5% | 16.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.4% | 11.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
In Smithland, the peak summer temperature is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The share of adults in Smithland who binge drink: 12%. The town does better than the Kentucky average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and worse on 5. Among adults in the town, 17% report frequent physical distress and 42% have high blood pressure.
| Smithland | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 23% | 19% |
| What stands out | Smithland | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84.2% | 81.3% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.5% | 84.2% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.7% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Smithland; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Smithland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
5 places in Smithland on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Smithland.
City in Kentucky, United States
Smithland is a home rule-class city in Livingston County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers. As of the 2020 census, Smithland had a population of 240. It is the county seat of Livingston County. Smithland is part of the Paducah metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Smithland has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
4 notable people were born here, including Samuel H. Piles and Richard W. Johnson.
