Ballard County, Kentucky
Population 7,654 · La Center, Wickliffe, Barlow
- Overall cost of living: −13.9% vs the US average, lower than 76% of US counties.
- Lyme disease cases: 0/100k, the lowest in the US.
- Terrain relief: 169.1 ft, lower than 89% of US counties.
Cost & Housing
| Overall cost of living (vs US avg) | ≈−13.9% | lower than 76% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Shared figure for the whole Paducah, KY-IL metro area. Prices are published for areas, not single counties. | ||
| Median home price | $145,800 | lower than 73% of US counties |
| Median rent | $817 | lower than 63% of US counties |
| Electric bill | $195/mo | higher than 76% of US counties |
| Child care (preschool) | $6,242/yr | lower than 73% of US counties |
| Property tax rate | 0.73% | lower than 56% of US counties |
| Sales tax | 6% | higher than 46% of US counties |
| State income tax | 4.5% | lower than 55% of US counties |
| Property tax paid / yr | $1,065 | lower than 75% of US counties |
Jobs & Career
| Median household income | $66,164 | higher than 52% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 5% | higher than 80% of US counties |
| Job growth (5 yr) | +0.9% | higher than 51% of US counties |
| Jobs per 1k residents | 208.9 | lower than 70% of US counties |
| Profession jobs per 1k residents | N/A |
Climate & Environment
| Sunny days / yr | ≈210 days | lower than 55% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Regional estimate: satellite grid cell about 100 km across. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| July high | 89°F | higher than 58% of US counties |
| January low | 27°F | higher than 61% of US counties |
| Annual snowfall | ≈9 in | lower than 55% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Paducah, KY, 11 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Hot days (90°F+) | ≈43 days | higher than 60% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: W Paducah 2W, KY, 11 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Freezing days (32°F or colder) | ≈84 days | lower than 64% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: W Paducah 2W, KY, 11 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Severe drought | 4.5% of weeks | lower than 72% of US counties |
| Summer dew point | ≈68.1°F | higher than 79% of US counties |
| ≈ Regional estimate: NASA grid cell about 50 km across, read at where the county’s people live. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| Annual precipitation | 50.9 in | higher than 79% of US counties |
| Disaster damage per $100k | $249/yr | higher than 89% of US counties |
| Flood damage per $100k | $72/yr | lower than 64% of US counties |
| Hurricane damage per $100k | $0.21/yr | higher than 52% of US counties |
| Earthquake damage per $100k | $119/yr | higher than 98% of US counties |
| Tornado damage per $100k | $15/yr | higher than 72% of US counties |
| Wildfire damage per $100k | $0.08/yr | lower than 72% of US counties |
| PM2.5 air pollution | 8.8 µg/m³ | higher than 72% of US counties |
| Distance to coast | 328 mi | higher than 71% of US counties |
| Terrain relief | ≈169.1 ft | lower than 89% of US counties |
| ≈ Estimated from about 75 elevation points sampled across the county, so the true range is usually somewhat larger. | ||
Education & Health
| % Adults with a high school diploma | 93.9% | higher than 83% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| % Adults with a bachelor's degree | 18.4% | lower than 70% of US counties |
| % Adults with a graduate degree | 6% | lower than 68% of US counties |
| Colleges within 30 mi | 2 | lower than 49% of US counties |
| Student-teacher ratio | 13.9:1 | higher than 51% of US counties |
| On-time high school graduation | 87.5% | lower than 60% of US counties |
| 8th-grade math (grade level) | gr 8.55 | higher than 75% of US counties |
| 8th-grade reading (grade level) | gr 8.74 | higher than 89% of US counties |
| 3rd-grade math (grade level) | gr 3.13 | higher than 66% of US counties |
| Library visits per resident | 0.1 | lower than 99% of US counties |
| Primary care docs / 100k | 0/100k | the lowest in the US |
| Hospitals within 25 mi | 1 | lower than 76% of US counties |
| Hospital quality (avg stars) | 3★ | lower than 48% of US counties |
| Life expectancy | 71.8 yrs | lower than 85% of US counties |
| % Uninsured (under 65) | 5% | lower than 94% of US counties |
| Mental health providers / 100k | 26/100k | lower than 89% of US counties |
| Dentists / 100k | 13/100k | lower than 88% of US counties |
| Lyme disease cases | 0/100k | the lowest in the US |
| % Near parks or rec facilities | 33.4% | lower than 89% of US counties |
Transit & Connectivity
| Airport drive time | 35 min | lower than 83% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Int'l airport drive time | 177 min | higher than 80% of US counties |
| Avg commute | 26 min | higher than 60% of US counties |
| Broadband coverage | 87.6% | higher than 55% of US counties |
| Transit commute share | 0.2% | higher than 45% of US counties |
| Work-from-home share | 2.6% | lower than 97% of US counties |
| Drive to a big city | 171 min | higher than 70% of US counties |
| Street intersections | 3 per sq mi | lower than 88% of US counties |
Community & Safety
| Violent crime | 0.7 per 1k | lower than 87% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime | 6.8 per 1k | lower than 56% of US counties |
| Population | 7,654 | lower than 83% of US counties |
| Median age | 45 | higher than 77% of US counties |
| Net domestic migration | +3.3 per 1k/yr | higher than 55% of US counties |
| % Democratic vote | 17% Dem | lower than 84% of US counties |
| % Republican vote | 81.5% Rep | higher than 82% of US counties |
| % Third-party vote | 1.5% | higher than 60% of US counties |
| % White | 91% | higher than 79% of US counties |
| % Hispanic or Latino | 1.6% | lower than 90% of US counties |
| % Black | 3.6% | higher than 59% of US counties |
| % Asian | 0.1% | lower than 84% of US counties |
| % American Indian & Alaska Native | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| % Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| % Two or more races | 3.7% | higher than 54% of US counties |
| % Some other race | 0% | the lowest in the US |
Recreation & Lifestyle
| Parks & protected areas | 14 parks | lower than 74% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants / 10k | 10.5 | lower than 79% of US counties |
| Arts & rec venues / 10k | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Drive to dark skies | 67 min | higher than 79% of US counties |
| Lakes & rivers | 9.9% | higher than 94% of US counties |
| Ski areas within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Golf courses within 30 mi | 10 | lower than 53% of US counties |
| Marinas & boat tours within 90 mi | 7 | lower than 54% of US counties |
| Trails (km) within 30 mi | 166 km | lower than 51% of US counties |
| Named paved greenways (km) within 15 mi | 0 km | lower than 54% of US counties |
| Gyms & fitness centers within 30 mi | 8 | lower than 54% of US counties |
| Bars within 30 mi | 8 | lower than 59% of US counties |
| Music & theater companies within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Museums within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Breweries within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Wineries within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Theme parks & arcades within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Casinos & casino hotels within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Campgrounds & RV parks within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Sports teams & arenas within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Bike paths (km) within 15 mi | 6 km | lower than 54% of US counties |
Most similar counties
Closest across all well-covered metrics.
Every number is from a public dataset; N/A means the source doesn't cover this county. Percentages compare against all US counties. ≈ marks a value not measured in the county itself; the line under it says where it comes from. Report bad data