The 10 Worst Small Towns In Kentucky For 2025

Most Americans have never been to small town Kentucky. However, as the Kentuckian who live there know, small town Kentucky is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Kentucky has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Bluegrass State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 155 of Kentucky’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Kentucky where you’d never want to live:

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Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

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These are the worst small towns in Kentucky for 2025:

1. Hickman
2. Clinton
3. Cloverport
4. Cumberland
5. Guthrie
6. Beattyville
7. Munfordville
8. Edmonton
9. Prestonsburg
10. Vanceburg

So what is the worst small town to call home in Kentucky for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Hickman is the worst small town to live in Kentucky.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Hickman home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Kentucky or the worst places to live in Kentucky.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Kentucky For 2025

1. Hickman

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,033
Median Home Value: $68,700
Median Income: $1,000
Unemployment Rate: 7.9%

2. Clinton

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,246
Median Home Value: $48,700
Median Income: $32,991
Unemployment Rate: 9.2%

3. Cloverport

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,264
Median Home Value: $84,800
Median Income: $34,688
Unemployment Rate: 13.2%

4. Cumberland

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 2,234
Median Home Value: $61,600
Median Income: $35,309
Unemployment Rate: 34.6%

5. Guthrie

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,377
Median Home Value: $122,200
Median Income: $34,803
Unemployment Rate: 15.0%

6. Beattyville

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,948
Median Home Value: $106,800
Median Income: $23,750
Unemployment Rate: 14.5%

7. Munfordville

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,792
Median Home Value: $107,800
Median Income: $23,879
Unemployment Rate: 5.3%

8. Edmonton

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,168
Median Home Value: $96,200
Median Income: $48,583
Unemployment Rate: 10.6%

9. Prestonsburg

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,823
Median Home Value: $157,200
Median Income: $27,265
Unemployment Rate: 15.4%

10. Vanceburg

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,443
Median Home Value: $78,100
Median Income: $26,369
Unemployment Rate: 11.2%

Next 10 Towns

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Kentucky is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in Kentucky, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

• Population Density (The lower, the worse)
• Highest Unemployment Rates
• Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
• Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
• Education (Number of high school dropouts)
• High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 155 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2025, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Kentucky.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Kentucky

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Bluegrass State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The worst small towns in Kentucky are Hickman, Clinton, Cloverport, Cumberland, Guthrie, Beattyville, Munfordville, Edmonton, Prestonsburg, and Vanceburg.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Kentucky, according to science:

1. Coldstream (Pop. 1,269)
2. Northfield (Pop. 1,104)
3. Indian Hills (Pop. 2,870)

For more Kentucky reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In Kentucky

Rank	Town	Population	Unemployment Rate	Home Value	Median Income
1	Hickman	2,033	7.9%	$68,700	$1,000
2	Clinton	1,246	9.2%	$48,700	$32,991
3	Cloverport	1,264	13.2%	$84,800	$34,688
4	Cumberland	2,234	34.6%	$61,600	$35,309
5	Guthrie	1,377	15.0%	$122,200	$34,803
6	Beattyville	1,948	14.5%	$106,800	$23,750
7	Munfordville	1,792	5.3%	$107,800	$23,879
8	Edmonton	2,168	10.6%	$96,200	$48,583
9	Prestonsburg	3,823	15.4%	$157,200	$27,265
10	Vanceburg	1,443	11.2%	$78,100	$26,369
11	Lewisburg	1,093	11.2%	$101,000	$37,684
12	Dawson Springs	1,973	11.3%	$73,500	$31,607
13	Jamestown	2,021	11.0%	$119,200	$25,602
14	Brownsville	1,066	6.6%	$156,800	$37,500
15	Dixon	1,034	17.0%	$86,700	$39,464
16	Clay City	1,352	8.3%	$108,600	$32,571
17	Brodhead	1,339	7.5%	$112,500	$28,523
18	Morgantown	2,729	9.8%	$111,400	$37,037
19	Cave City	2,545	5.3%	$108,100	$33,672
20	Stearns	1,509	5.0%	$1,000	$36,964
21	Pine Knot	1,358	0.0%	$111,300	$1,000
22	Pineville	1,906	17.2%	$99,000	$25,385
23	Russell Springs	2,755	10.4%	$170,300	$37,500
24	Tompkinsville	2,672	6.0%	$86,100	$37,405
25	Jenkins	1,569	6.7%	$65,600	$34,400
26	Burkesville	1,407	0.6%	$114,600	$32,361
27	Earlington	1,113	8.0%	$64,400	$34,904
28	Flemingsburg	2,967	13.7%	$123,200	$32,500
29	Harlan	2,304	13.3%	$112,500	$30,365
30	Whitesburg	1,998	10.3%	$111,300	$31,875
31	Manchester	2,041	7.2%	$109,100	$30,291
32	South Shore	1,561	23.8%	$85,900	$29,000
33	Liberty	1,828	7.7%	$129,400	$28,281
34	Salyersville	1,891	5.6%	$96,500	$30,714
35	Breckinridge Center	1,592	6.6%	$1,000	$62,269
36	Clarkson	1,133	4.3%	$121,900	$28,393
37	Farley	4,402	3.2%	$82,400	$45,676
38	Paintsville	4,256	4.2%	$110,800	$26,713
39	Coal Run Village	1,888	7.0%	$120,700	$47,212
40	Irvine	2,811	9.1%	$123,400	$36,292
41	Dry Ridge	2,250	9.9%	$193,200	$53,641
42	Jackson	2,128	10.1%	$75,900	$34,317
43	Grayson	3,820	8.4%	$125,600	$28,548
44	Horse Cave	2,348	7.5%	$93,600	$51,927
45	Junction City	2,441	8.2%	$111,800	$40,917
46	Albany	1,972	4.2%	$102,500	$40,301
47	Owingsville	1,977	5.3%	$92,700	$40,150
48	Mount Vernon	2,259	3.6%	$100,500	$38,639
49	Hawesville	1,221	4.6%	$151,100	$51,898
50	Annville	1,175	1.2%	$84,800	$53,421
51	Fulton	2,345	1.7%	$61,200	$36,037
52	Catlettsburg	1,672	12.1%	$71,400	$34,524
53	Wurtland	1,257	13.0%	$84,100	$56,250
54	Barbourville	3,181	4.5%	$190,200	$20,971
55	Auburn	1,715	7.8%	$118,100	$46,071
56	Sebree	2,071	0.6%	$99,500	$62,222
57	Greensburg	2,218	11.2%	$117,700	$37,321
58	Lancaster	3,960	15.3%	$134,700	$45,795
59	Jeffersonville	1,937	7.8%	$114,900	$56,932
60	Livermore	1,046	7.6%	$122,300	$24,883
61	Lebanon Junction	2,201	10.3%	$134,700	$52,000
62	Augusta	1,514	9.3%	$100,700	$43,854
63	Falmouth	2,577	4.3%	$111,300	$38,177
64	White Plains	1,007	2.7%	$84,100	$36,800
65	Columbia	4,842	6.2%	$123,500	$45,221
66	Clay	1,112	8.6%	$75,600	$43,884
67	Scottsville	4,391	11.2%	$140,600	$36,259
68	Ledbetter	1,630	10.2%	$115,000	$62,798
69	Muldraugh	1,164	7.0%	$77,300	$47,059
70	Stanton	3,211	6.2%	$127,200	$29,141
71	West Point	1,131	2.9%	$68,200	$37,260
72	Beaver Dam	3,526	11.4%	$155,800	$52,546
73	Cadiz	2,649	4.4%	$120,800	$40,186
74	Providence	2,861	6.0%	$66,800	$53,208
75	Hardinsburg	2,404	4.5%	$128,400	$56,774
76	Warsaw	1,868	6.4%	$168,400	$58,284
77	Sturgis	1,827	4.7%	$83,400	$43,938
78	Louisa	2,645	8.0%	$144,900	$41,250
79	Campbellsburg	1,034	10.0%	$172,500	$56,087
80	Marion	2,908	0.7%	$104,100	$40,691
81	Carlisle	2,356	4.0%	$103,300	$46,292
82	Silver Grove	1,104	5.4%	$103,400	$46,315
83	Eminence	2,710	6.1%	$171,300	$44,655
84	Taylorsville	1,566	2.9%	$148,500	$41,917
85	Pleasureville	1,286	3.4%	$142,400	$49,612
86	Elkton	2,158	3.3%	$111,300	$45,417
87	West Buechel	1,624	5.5%	$152,600	$47,066
88	Springfield	2,871	5.8%	$154,800	$40,890
89	North Corbin	2,092	0.8%	$117,700	$48,382
90	Owenton	1,600	6.7%	$124,300	$52,121
91	Carrollton	3,894	6.5%	$122,400	$58,788
92	Raceland	2,173	6.5%	$117,800	$61,923
93	Westwood	4,480	1.8%	$94,100	$70,012
94	Irvington	1,129	3.3%	$113,500	$48,750
95	Calvert City	2,522	2.5%	$157,400	$42,566
96	Lewisport	2,053	4.7%	$125,300	$51,847
97	Crittenden	4,058	2.7%	$168,300	$51,336
98	Hartford	2,653	3.5%	$103,800	$61,313
99	Hebron Estates	1,262	13.7%	$268,800	$57,375
100	Stanford	3,662	3.5%	$154,000	$55,000