Kentucky vs West Virginia
Kentucky comes out ahead of West Virginia on 486 of 802 statistics where one end is better, to 291 with 25 ties. Kentucky leads on Agriculture, Education and Sports and 10 more categories. West Virginia leads on Politics & Government and Crime & Safety.
802 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 25 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 486
- Avg. percentile
- 43
- Categories led
- 13
- Wins
- 291
- Avg. percentile
- 39
- Categories led
- 2
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | Kentucky | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,629,682 25th of 51 | 1,764,892 39th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $63,726 47th of 51 | $59,608 50th of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 4.6% tied 40th of 51 | 4.2% tied 30th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 16.1% 47th of 51 | 16.7% 48th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 90.2 12th of 51 | 89.5 9th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $52,290 46th of 51 | $50,051 50th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $58,990 44th of 51 | $56,470 49th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $967 6th of 51 | $872 1st of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 212.1 9th of 51 | 241.7 20th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 4,396 16th of 48 | 5,067 22nd of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- AgricultureKentucky · 17 statistics
- EducationKentucky · 51 statistics
- SportsKentucky · 17 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyKentucky · 35 statistics
- PopulationKentucky · 120 statistics
- Facts & TriviaKentucky · 18 statistics
- GeographyKentucky · 25 statistics
- HealthKentucky · 186 statistics
- TravelKentucky · 29 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentWest Virginia · 125 statistics
- Tech & BusinessKentucky · 48 statistics
- EconomicsKentucky · 295 statistics
- EnvironmentKentucky · 39 statistics
- CultureKentucky · 79 statistics
- Crime & SafetyWest Virginia · 72 statistics
- LawEven · 66 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | Kentucky | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| CAS Legal Executive Corruption Level (1-5)Most Corrupt States | 5 48th of 48 | 2 tied 1st of 48 |
| Workplace Safety Rank WalletHubSafest States in the US | 4th 4th of 50 | 45th 45th of 50 |
| Affordability RankBest States to Retire | 40th 40th of 50 | 1st 1st of 50 |
| CAS Illegal Legislative Corruption Level (1-5)Most Corrupt States | 5 tied last of 48 | 2 tied 3rd of 48 |
| Annual Mean WageOptometrist Salary by State | $152,100 3rd of 47 | $111,560 39th of 47 |
| Hourly Mean WageOptometrist Salary by State | $73.12 3rd of 47 | $53.64 39th of 47 |
| % of Personal Income Coming from Child SupportChild Support Percentage by State | 9.4% tied 45th of 51 | 14.4% 7th of 51 |
| Average Literacy ScoreU.S. Literacy Rates by State | 218 tied 10th of 51 | 206 49th of 51 |
| 1996-2022 Change Adjusted For InflationTANF Benefits by State | -45.0% tied 4th of 48 | 18.0% 45th of 48 |
| Personal Freedom RankMost Libertarian States | 47th 47th of 50 | 10th 10th of 50 |
| Varicella 2 DosesVaccination Rates by State | 89.4% 38th of 50 | 99.7% 1st of 50 |
| DMV FeesCar Dealer Fees by State | $48.00 4th of 51 | $792 41st of 51 |
| Annual Mean WageDentist Salary by State | $188,910 8th of 39 | $145,300 36th of 39 |
| Hourly Mean WageDentist Salary by State | $90.82 8th of 39 | $69.86 36th of 39 |
| MMR 2 Doses (Kindergarten)Vaccination Rates by State | 90.0% 36th of 50 | 98.3% 1st of 50 |
| CAS Legal Legislative Corruption Level (1-5)Most Corrupt States | 5 tied last of 48 | 3 tied 4th of 48 |
| Average EBRW SAT ScoreSAT Scores by State | 607 15th of 51 | 474 50th of 51 |
| Average Total SAT ScoreSAT Scores by State | 1,181 15th of 51 | 911 50th of 51 |
| Difference from National Average SAT ScoreSAT Scores by State | 152 15th of 51 | -118 50th of 51 |
| Infrastructure RankFarming-Friendly States | 8th 8th of 50 | 42nd 42nd of 50 |
| # Change in Prison Pop. 2021-2022Prison Population by State | 6.4 43rd of 50 | 0.4 9th of 50 |
| Attractive People RankMost Attractive States | 14th 14th of 49 | 48th 47th of 49 |
| Juvenile Incarceration Rate US NewsSafest States in the US | 20 per 100k 14th of 49 | 116 per 100k 47th of 49 |
| Culture and Diversity RankBest States to Retire | 50th 50th of 50 | 16th tied 16th of 50 |
| % of Students Below Basic Reading LevelU.S. Literacy Rates by State | 38.0% tied 10th of 51 | 47.0% tied 45th of 51 |
| Home Health Care Cost per CapitaHealth Care Costs by State | $193 7th of 51 | $402 41st of 51 |
| % Change in Prison Pop. 2021-2022Prison Population by State | 1,184.0% 42nd of 50 | 26.0% 9th of 50 |
| Higher Education QualityPublic School Rankings by State | 11th 11th of 50 | 44th 44th of 50 |
| Bad Driving IndexWorst Drivers by State | 78.99 41st of 49 | 39.86 9th of 49 |
| Rural Pavement RoughnessRoad Quality by State | 2% tied 8th of 50 | 7% tied 45th of 50 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, Kentucky or West Virginia?
- Kentucky comes out ahead of West Virginia on 486 of 802 statistics where one end is better, to 291 with 25 ties. Kentucky leads on Agriculture, Education and Sports and 10 more categories. West Virginia leads on Politics & Government and Crime & Safety. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, Kentucky or West Virginia?
- Kentucky has a population of 4,629,682 (25th of 51 US states) and West Virginia has 1,764,892 (39th of 51).
- How do Kentucky and West Virginia compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: Kentucky $63,726 (47th of 51), West Virginia $59,608 (50th of 51) among US states. Kentucky ranks better.
- How do Kentucky and West Virginia compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): Kentucky 4.6% (tied 40th of 51), West Virginia 4.2% (tied 30th of 51) among US states. West Virginia ranks better.
- Where does Kentucky beat West Virginia most clearly?
- Kentucky ranks far ahead on Workplace Safety Rank WalletHub (Safest States in the US): 4th vs 45th; Annual Mean Wage (Optometrist Salary by State): $152,100 vs $111,560; Hourly Mean Wage (Optometrist Salary by State): $73.12 vs $53.64.
- Where does West Virginia beat Kentucky most clearly?
- West Virginia ranks far ahead on CAS Legal Executive Corruption Level (1-5) (Most Corrupt States): 2 vs 5; Affordability Rank (Best States to Retire): 1st vs 40th; CAS Illegal Legislative Corruption Level (1-5) (Most Corrupt States): 2 vs 5.
More matchups
Other comparisons with Kentucky or West Virginia.
- Alabama vs Kentucky
- Alaska vs Kentucky
- Arizona vs Kentucky
- Arkansas vs Kentucky
- California vs Kentucky
- Colorado vs Kentucky
- Connecticut vs Kentucky
- Delaware vs Kentucky
- Alabama vs West Virginia
- Alaska vs West Virginia
- Arizona vs West Virginia
- Arkansas vs West Virginia
- California vs West Virginia
- Colorado vs West Virginia
- Connecticut vs West Virginia
- Delaware vs West Virginia