Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 963 in Kentucky.
51% of residents live below the poverty line in Whitley City, above both Kentucky’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Of the 143 Kentucky towns we compare, none has a higher share of children under 18 than Whitley City. 23% of the land in Whitley City is conserved, against 1.7% in Kentucky’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Whitley City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
1,170 counted in 2010 and 968 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Census counts: 1,034 in 1960, a peak of 1,683 in 1980, 968 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1952 on.
Explore the history →Whitley City 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Whitley City.
7.8% of working residents work locally in Whitley City. Employers in Whitley City added 124 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 482. The typical household income locally is $34,000. The top destinations are Stearns (12%), Somerset (6%) and Pine Knot (5%).
| Whitley City | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $34,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.8% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
2.0 miles of trail. In Whitley City, the concentration of trails is 0.9 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
FEMA puts 31% of Whitley City’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 22% to cold waves. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in nearly three quarters of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
No town among the 143 in Kentucky we compare has a lower typical July afternoon high than Whitley City. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 26° and about 6 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 6 of the 142 Kentucky towns we compare have a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Whitley City. In Whitley City, 24% of adults smoke cigarettes.
| Whitley City | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 23% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 16% | 14% |
| What stands out | Whitley City | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 26.7% | 15.5% |
| More uninsured adults | 9.1% | 5.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 31.1% | 18.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
For households in Whitley City, the share who own their home is 45%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Whitley City. Close and well known come first.
11 mi WaterfallCumberland Falls
3 mi National RiverBig South Fork National River and Recreation Area774K visitors a year
34 mi LakeLake Cumberland
40 mi National Historical ParkCumberland Gap National Historical Park765K visitors a year
5 mi MuseumBlue Heron4 mi MuseumBarthellCumberland Falls: ChrisKuehl, Public domain · Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0 · Lake Cumberland: Censusdata at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Cumberland Gap National Historical Park: J654567, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Heron: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
None within 15 miles of Whitley City; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Whitley City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census-designated place in Kentucky, United States
Whitley City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in McCreary County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 968 at the 2020 census, down from 1,170 in 2010. It is the county seat of McCreary County. Whitley City is one of two unincorporated county seats in Kentucky (the other being Burlington in Boone County).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Whitley City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
