Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 443, settled in 1909.
Meade Memorial Gymnasium and Ben Mollett Cabin is on the National Register of Historic Places. Van Lear has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 2,056 in 1920, 893 in 2020. The archive holds 5 maps from 1917 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Van Lear is unincorporated, so Johnson 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Van Lear.
40 flood insurance claims have been paid in Van Lear since 1984. FEMA puts 92% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding. Federal aid has come to Van Lear households in 8 declared disasters; the latest was in 2025.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Among households in Van Lear, 80% are owner-occupiers, where Kentucky’s towns sit at 59% and U.S. towns at 73%. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home lost 7% of its value.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
21% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Van Lear. Adults 18 to 34 are 4% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 54% of residents (38% statewide).
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.5 points. Across Kentucky, 50.5% of residents are women.
| Van Lear | KY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 19.6% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 1.8% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 23.9% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 2.7% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 27.3% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.8% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.8% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.7% | 11.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 45.2% | 32.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.4% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.8% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 7.1% | 16.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.8% | 11.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
In Van Lear, the average commute is 21 minutes. Among residents here, 24% live below the poverty line, above both Kentucky’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Half of commuters travel less than 10 miles. The top destinations are Paintsville (24%), Prestonsburg (16%) and Pikeville (3%).
| Van Lear | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 24% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.4% | 15% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In July, afternoons reach 87°; in January, nights fall to 25°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Van Lear: 15% of adults binge drink. In Van Lear, 41% of adults sleep under 7 hours, and 39% have high blood pressure.
| Van Lear | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 40% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 38% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | Van Lear | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.5% | 18.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13.4% | 15.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Van Lear. Close and well known come first.
6 mi MuseumU.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum
8 mi MuseumMountain Homeplace7 mi MuseumEast Kentucky Science Center
18 mi MuseumMagoffin County Pioneer Village and MuseumU.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum: J654567, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mountain Homeplace: J654567, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Magoffin County Pioneer Village and Museum: FloNight (Sydney Poore) and Russell Poore, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Van Lear
About 0 of every 100 Van Lear residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
Where Van Lear’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Unincorporated community in Kentucky, United States
Van Lear is an unincorporated community and coal town in Johnson County, Kentucky, United States.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Van Lear has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
