Kentucky

State Office of Rural Health

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

374

Rural Health Clinics

352

Federally Qualified Health Centers*

44

Short Term/PPS Hospitals*

*Sites according to data.HRSA.gov (July 2023), showing only locations outside of U.S Census Bureau Urban Areas with a population of 50,000 or more

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Kentucky

5.4% of Kentucky residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2022). According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per capita income for Kentucky residents in 2021 was $51,266, with the rural per capita income at $43,645. The ERS reports, based on 2021 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Kentucky is 20.7%, compared with 13.2% 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 4.4%, while in urban Kentucky, it is 3.6% (USDA-ERS, 2022).