Kentucky

Key Contact for Kentucky

Kentucky Office of Rural Health

Phone: 606.439.3557

Partners with hospitals, community organizations, and nonprofit groups, in promoting healthcare in rural Kentucky. Located in the Center of Excellence in Rural Health at the University of Kentucky Medical Center.
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Kentucky Nonmetro Population

4,461,952

Estimated population

1,810,134 (40.6%)

People living in nonmetro areas

Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020 estimate

Kentucky Rural Healthcare Facilities

28

Critical Access Hospitals

346

Rural Health Clinics

322

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

44

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites located in rural areas according to data.HRSA.gov. January 2023.

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Kentucky

7.1% of Kentucky residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2021). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Kentucky residents in 2020 was $47,339, with the rural per capita income at $39,917. The ERS reports, based on 2020 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Kentucky is 19.2%, compared with 12.0% in urban areas of the state. 16.6% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 9.4% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2017-2021 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Kentucky is 5.1%, while in urban Kentucky, it is 4.4% (USDA-ERS, 2020).