housinganalytics.org

Kentucky · GEOID 21023

Bracken County

2024 ACS 5-year estimates · population 8,444 · 3,860 housing units

Download: Charts also have a PNG button (hover any chart).
Median household income
$66,319
State $64,919
Median home value
$125,000
State $206,017
Median gross rent
$756
State $980
Homeownership rate
78.5%
State 68.3%
Renter cost-burden rate
41.0%
≥30% of income
Owner cost-burden rate
18.1%
≥30% of income
Homeowner vacancy
0.0%
Of owner-occupied + for-sale units
Rental vacancy
6.6%
Of renter-occupied + for-rent units
Overall vacancy
12.8%
All housing units
Price-to-income ratio
1.88
Affordable: 2.0–3.0

Section 1

Community Profile

Population, demographics, household composition, and income.

Community Data Summary

Bracken CountyKentucky
Population 8,444 4,534,824
Population density (per sq. mi.) 41.66 —
Median household income $66,319 $64,919
HUD Area Median Income (4-person, 100%) $109,900 —
Households 3,364 —
Average household size 2.50 people —
Owner-occupied 78.5% 68.3%
Renter-occupied 21.5% 31.7%
Race 95.7% White · 0.6% Black 0.0% White · 0.0% Black
Source: ACS 5-year 2024 (Tables DP05, S1101, DP04, S1901) and Census Gazetteer (land area); HUD FY2026 Income Limits.

Racial composition

Bracken County compared with Kentucky.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP05.

Educational attainment (population 25+)

17.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher (state: 27.6%).
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1501.

Median Household Income by Tenure

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied household income, county and state.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25119.

Median Household Income by Age of Householder

Median household income by age group of householder.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B19049.

Median Household Income by Number of Earners

Median household income for families with each earner count.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903.

Household Size

Distribution of households by number of people.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2501.

Income by Number of Earners

Earners Share Median income Attainable monthly housing cost Attainable home
0 earners 20.8% $36,724 $918 $105,680
1 earner 33.1% $60,083 $1,502 $192,630
2 earners 35.0% $117,366 $2,934 $405,857
3+ earners 11.1% $129,926 $3,248 $452,609
Attainable monthly housing cost = 30% of gross income ÷ 12. Attainable home price assumes 30% housing budget, 30-yr mortgage at 7%, 5% down.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903; affordability formula derived.

Households

3,364

Average size: 2.50 people

Households with children

1,007

29.9% of households

Per-capita income

$33,389

Poverty rate: 17.6%

Section 2

Residential Market Analysis

Housing stock characteristics — tenure, type, age, size, vacancy, rents.

Tenure

78.5% owner-occupied vs. state average 68.3%.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Structure type

Single-family share 63.3% · Missing middle (2–19 units) 6.4%.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25024.

Housing stock by decade

39.7% built before 1980 · Median structure age 1,986.00 yrs.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2504.

Housing size mismatch

Compares the share of housing units by bedroom count against the share of households by size — a common diagnostic of housing supply/demand alignment.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Tables B25041 (bedrooms) and S2501 (household size).

Home value distribution

Owner-occupied homes by value bracket. Median: $125,000.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Monthly Housing Costs

Distribution of monthly housing costs across all occupied units.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25104.

Number of Bedrooms

Housing units by number of bedrooms.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25041.

Median rent by bedroom

Overall median gross rent: $756.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25031.

Renters by age

Number of renter householders by age bracket.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Owners by age

Number of owner householders by age bracket.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Vacancy composition

All 496 vacant units split into Census's seven categories. Frictional vacancy (units actively on the market) reflects healthy churn. Structural vacancy (seasonal, migrant, other) sits outside the market for year-round residents — high values change how the headline vacancy rate should be read.

Vacant units by type

For sale 0.0% · For rent 12.1% · Seasonal 12.1% · Other 47.8%.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Frictional vs structural

40.1% of vacancy is frictional (for sale + for rent + rented/sold not yet occupied); 59.9% is structural (seasonal + migrant + other).
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Seasonal / recreational share of all housing

1.6%

60 units of 3,860 total

Housing units held for seasonal or recreational use.

"Other vacant" share of all housing

6.1%

237 units of 3,860 total

⚑ Above the 5% threshold — possible indicator of disinvestment, abandonment, or condemned stock.

Section 3

Workforce Housing Needs Assessment

Affordability, cost burden, and the housing options for households in the workforce income range.

Workforce range — ACS median household income

80% MHI$53,055
100% MHI$66,319
120% MHI$79,583

County-wide median from ACS 5-year estimates. A household at 100% MHI in Bracken County should be able to afford a home up to roughly — (30% housing budget, default mortgage terms).

Workforce range — HUD Area Median Income

1-person2-person4-person
80% AMI $61,550 $70,350 $87,900
100% AMI $76,930 $87,920 $109,900
120% AMI $92,300 $105,500 $131,900

HUD FMR Area: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. 80% AMI uses HUD's published Section 8 Low Income Limits; 100% is HUD MFI; 120% is the standard workforce convention.

Affordability calculator

Follows the standard 30%-of-gross-income affordability rule.

Affordable monthly—
Affordable home price—

Renter cost burden

41.0% of renter households spend ≥30% of income on rent (26.0% spend ≥50%).
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25070.

Owner cost burden by income

18.1% of homeowners spend ≥30% of income on housing. Bars show counts of cost-burdened owners by income bracket.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25106.

Household income — owners vs renters

Distribution of household income for owner-occupied (navy) and renter-occupied (gold) households.
Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25118.

Section 4

Industry & Workforce Wages

Employment, average wages, and the housing each industry's typical earner can afford in Bracken County.

Covered employment
819
Across 11 sectors
Establishments
195
QCEW 2024
Avg annual pay (workforce)
$42,851
Employment-weighted across sectors

Top 10 sectors by employment

Annual average employment by NAICS 2-digit sector. Counties with fewer than five covered establishments in a sector may show suppressed totals.
Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024.

Attainable housing by industry

Industry Employment Avg annual wage Affordable home price vs. median value Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 62 Health care and social assistance NAICS 62 259 $64,068 $207,463 +$82,463 $1,602
NAICS 92 Public administration NAICS 92 126 $31,367 $85,739 −$39,261 $784
NAICS 72 Accommodation and food services NAICS 72 110 $17,349 $33,559 −$91,441 $434
NAICS 44-45 Retail trade NAICS 44-45 100 $19,337 $40,959 −$84,041 $483
NAICS 23 Construction NAICS 23 81 $46,113 $140,629 +$15,629 $1,153
NAICS 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 54 44 $57,599 $183,384 +$58,384 $1,440
NAICS 52 Finance and insurance NAICS 52 32 $43,675 $131,554 +$6,554 $1,092
NAICS 81 Other services (except public administration) NAICS 81 30 $42,121 $125,769 +$769 $1,053
NAICS 48-49 Transportation and warehousing NAICS 48-49 16 $59,083 $188,907 +$63,907 $1,477
NAICS 56 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services NAICS 56 15 $37,554 $108,769 −$16,231 $939
NAICS 53 Real estate and rental and leasing NAICS 53 6 $44,653 $135,194 +$10,194 $1,116
Affordable home price assumes the industry's average earner uses 30% of gross income for housing, with a 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr taxes & insurance, and 0.5% PMI. Adjust the Section 3 calculator for other terms. Affordable rent is 30% of monthly gross pay.
Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024; ACS 5-year 2024 (median home value).

Section 5

Wages by Occupation

Selected essential-worker occupations for the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county — jobs, the 10-year change, wages, and the housing each typical earner can afford. Both jobs counts and wages are reported at the MSA / nonmetropolitan-area level (BLS does not publish OEWS at the county level), so every county inside the same area shows the same numbers. For county-accurate employment totals, see Section 4 above.

Occupational wages and affordable housing

Occupation 2025
jobs		 2015–2025
change		 %
change		 Hourly
wage		 Annual
wage		 Affordable
home price		 Affordable
monthly rent
Fast Food and Counter Workers SOC 35-3023 · prior-year code differs 30,950 (4,010) (11%) $14.45 $30,050 $80,837 $751
Cashiers SOC 41-2011 19,580 (1,200) (6%) $14.76 $30,690 $83,219 $767
Childcare Workers SOC 39-9011 2,390 (2,800) (54%) $15.46 $32,160 $88,691 $804
Retail Salespersons SOC 41-2031 28,670 (1,190) (4%) $16.70 $34,730 $98,257 $868
Janitors and Cleaners SOC 37-2011 13,560 (2,680) (17%) $18.18 $37,800 $109,685 $945
Home Health and Personal Care Aides SOC 31-1131 · prior-year code differs 11,390 (8,180) (42%) $20.17 $41,950 $125,133 $1,049
Tellers SOC 43-3071 3,170 (530) (14%) $21.50 $44,730 $135,481 $1,118
Waiters and Waitresses SOC 35-3031 17,790 (2,120) (11%) $21.51 $44,740 $135,518 $1,119
Office Clerks, General SOC 43-9061 16,750 760 5% $22.06 $45,890 $139,799 $1,147
Paramedics SOC 29-2043 · prior-year code differs 650 (1,380) (68%) $25.74 $53,540 $168,275 $1,339
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General SOC 49-9071 12,140 2,470 26% $26.91 $55,970 $177,320 $1,399
Firefighters SOC 33-2011 3,380 (580) (15%) $27.65 $57,510 $183,052 $1,438
Construction Laborers SOC 47-2061 5,700 230 4% $27.81 $57,840 $184,281 $1,446
Carpenters SOC 47-2031 4,610 300 7% $29.86 $62,110 $200,175 $1,553
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers SOC 53-3032 13,820 1,460 12% $30.37 $63,170 $204,121 $1,579
Electricians SOC 47-2111 5,640 1,410 33% $32.13 $66,830 $217,744 $1,671
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters SOC 47-2152 3,640 890 32% $33.93 $70,570 $231,666 $1,764
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education SOC 25-2021 9,150 (920) (9%) — $71,030 $233,378 $1,776
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers SOC 33-3051 3,900 (60) (2%) $38.20 $79,450 $264,720 $1,986
Registered Nurses SOC 29-1141 28,520 4,810 20% $43.24 $89,940 $303,768 $2,249
Affordable home price uses the same Section 3 formula (30% housing budget, 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr T&I, 0.5% PMI). Affordable rent is 30% of monthly wages. Negative job-change values are shown in red parentheses. A "prior-year code differs" note flags occupations whose SOC code changed between the two vintages (2010 SOC → 2018 SOC) — the change estimate is best-effort.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (10-year change vs. May 2015). Jobs counts and wages reflect the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county, not the county alone — OEWS is not published at the county level.
Methodology & sources

All figures derive from the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. State and national comparisons are population-weighted aggregates of county-level estimates (an approximation; ACS publishes its own state and national medians which can differ slightly).

The affordability calculator uses a 30% housing-budget rule with a 30-year mortgage. Defaults are 7% interest, 5% down, $2,500/year taxes and insurance, and 0.5% PMI — adjustable above.

Variables: 21023 · pulled from Full Housing Data Table.xlsx.