Kentucky

State in South · ranked on 2,132 metrics

Rank among US states

Kentucky is a state in the South with a population of 4,629,682 (25th of 51). It ranks best for Corruption Score (BestLife) (1st of 50), Livable Wage w/ 2 Children (Annual) (2nd of 51), Livable Wage w/ 2 Children (Hourly) (2nd of 51). It ranks lowest for Cancer Rate: Mortality (51st of 51), CAS Legal Executive Corruption Level (1-5) (48th of 48), CAS Illegal Executive Corruption Level (1-5) (tied last of 48).

Population
4.6M
25th highest of 51
Density
117.2
25th highest of 51
Growth rate
0.5%
23rd highest of 51
Region
South

Strengths and weak spotsPercentileWhere a place sits among all places, from 0 to 100. 100 is the best, 50 is the middle, 0 is the worst.More in the glossary →

Percentile on 851 metrics that rank at least half of all US states, given whether higher or lower is better.

Totals that track populationCounts like “number of burglaries” that mostly reflect how many people live somewhere, so big places rank high or low regardless.More in the glossary →

Best at

Highest percentiles, given whether higher or lower is better

  1. Dental Services Cost per Capita$340
    Health Care Costs by State · 2020
    1st of 51
  2. Corruption Score (BestLife)0.02
    Most Corrupt States · 2021
    1st of 50
  3. Share of All Pedestrian-Related Fatal Accidents 2018-20221.23%
    Jaywalking Laws By State
    1st of 50
  4. Personal Injury1
    Statute of Limitations by State
    tied 1st of 50
  5. Average Credit Card Debt$3,140
    Debt by State · 2025
    2nd of 51
  6. Binged Alcohol Past Month20.3%
    Drug Use by State · 2023
    2nd of 51
  7. Livable Wage w/ 2 Children (Annual)$88,455
    Living Wage by State · 2026
    2nd of 51
  8. Affordability Score33
    Arthritis Friendly States
    2nd of 50
  9. Residents With High91.4%
    Best States for Education · 2025
    2nd of 50
  10. Registration Fee$26.00
    Car Registration Fees by State
    2nd of 50

Worst at

Lowest percentiles, given whether higher or lower is better

  1. Cancer Rate New Cases 2018 to 2022518.9 per 100k Pop.
    Cancer Rates by State
    51st of 51
  2. Avg. Amount Received in Child Support$3,183
    Child Support Percentage by State · 2022
    51st of 51
  3. Single$235
    Medicaid Income Limits by State · 2026
    50th of 50
  4. Culture and Diversity Rank50th
    Best States to Retire · 2022
    50th of 50
  5. Overall Rank1st
    Worst States to Retire
    worst of 50
  6. FTE Reporter Rank1st
    Most Corrupt States · 2015
    worst of 49
  7. LPC License Fee$1,500
    LPC Requirements by State
    46th of 46
  8. Promissory Notes15
    Statute of Limitations on Debt by State
    tied last of 50
  9. Amphetamine Use Rate (Per 100k)584.65
    Drug Use by State · 2023
    50th of 51
  10. Life Expectancy, Both Sexes (HALE)60.97 yrs
    Life Expectancy by State · 2023
    50th of 51

Profile by category

Average percentile per category, from the median line. Select a category to list its metrics.

Strongest category Agriculture (71), weakest Facts & Trivia (31). Select a category to list its metrics.

Notable facts

Where it ranks first or last among US states

Where it is

Shaded by population; select a place to open it

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Similar places

Closest percentiles on 60 widely reported measures from 12 categories, leaving out size and totals

  1. Louisiana76% similar
  2. Missouri74% similar
  3. Arkansas72% similar
  4. Tennessee72% similar
  5. Ohio72% similar

Cities in Kentucky

3 cities with a report card, largest first

Counties in Kentucky

114 counties with a report card, largest first

Quick answers

What is the population of Kentucky?
Kentucky has a population of 4,629,682, 25th among 51 US states.
What does Kentucky rank best at?
Among US states, Kentucky ranks best for Corruption Score (BestLife) (1st of 50); Livable Wage w/ 2 Children (Annual) (2nd of 51); Livable Wage w/ 2 Children (Hourly) (2nd of 51).
Where does Kentucky rank worst?
Kentucky ranks lowest for Cancer Rate: Mortality (51st of 51); CAS Legal Executive Corruption Level (1-5) (48th of 48); CAS Illegal Executive Corruption Level (1-5) (tied last of 48).
How many statistics does Rankodex have for Kentucky?
Rankodex ranks Kentucky on 2,132 statistics compared with other US states, compiled from World Population Review and the sources it cites.

Every metric

2,132 metrics with a value for this place, in 642 topics