Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,609, founded in 1842.
Whitesburg’s best subject grades are an A+ for safety and an A for history and civic life; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 38% of residents live below the poverty line in Whitesburg, against 16% in Kentucky’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 13 of Kentucky’s 236 towns score lower on incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. Whitesburg’s trail density is 1.8 miles per square mile, above both the Kentucky town median (0.3) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). On civic life, just 8 of Kentucky’s 204 towns do better. Whitesburg Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Whitesburg has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Whitesburg beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Whitesburg | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.1% | 5.4% |
2,139 counted in 2010 and 1,773 in 2020; an estimated 1,609 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Whitesburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 194 in 1900, 1,773 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1915 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Whitesburg, 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 Whitesburg.
The typical Whitesburg home is worth about $79,000, down 15.8% in a year, 66% below the Kentucky typical home. The median rent in Whitesburg is $640 a month.
| Whitesburg | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 53% | 59% | 73% |
| Median rent | $640 a month | $934 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Letcher County school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Letcher County Central High School, with 692 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Whitesburg Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 462 | C |
| Letcher County Central High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 692 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
Of the 116 Kentucky towns we compare, none has a lower property crime rate than Whitesburg. Whitesburg’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
| Whitesburg | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
32% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Whitesburg. Among 142 Kentucky towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Whitesburg. 17% of adults have diabetes in Whitesburg.
| Whitesburg | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 27% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Whitesburg | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.4% | 14.2% |
| More uninsured adults | 8.1% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
About one in 3 of Whitesburg’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Whitesburg has lost 507 jobs, to 2,794 in 2023. Only 5 of the 143 Kentucky towns we compare have a lower median household income than Whitesburg.
| Whitesburg | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 32% | 15% | 8% |
| Median household income | $29,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 90% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 54 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Whitesburg.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
People 65 and older are 29% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (22% statewide). Whitesburg has lost 9.3% of its people since 2020, down to 1,609 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 20% of Whitesburg adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Whitesburg | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 29% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 43.8 years | 37.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 20% | 26% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.1 points. Across Kentucky, 50.5% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 80% are men (KY 51%).
| Whitesburg | KY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.2% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.3% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.7% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.7% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.7% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.3% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.5% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.7% | 11.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.8% | 32.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.7% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 6.3% | 16.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.5% | 11.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,600, single groups can be off by several points
Whitesburg has chilly winters and warm summers. Of the 143 Kentucky towns we compare, none has a lower July high than Whitesburg.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
5.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. River Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Whitesburg
About 3 of every 100 Whitesburg residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
Where Whitesburg’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
6 notable people were born in Whitesburg.
City in Kentucky, United States
Whitesburg is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Letcher County, Kentucky, United States. The population was at the 2020 census and an estimated 1,711 in 2022. It was named for John D. White, a state politician and Speaker of the United States House.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 1.9 years of the area's median household income ($41,793 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
6 notable people were born here, including Jessamyn Duke and John Beatty.