Kentucky

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Population

4.47M

0.319% growth

Median Age

39.1


Median Household Income

$50,247

3.87% growth

Poverty Rate

18.3%


Number of Employees

1.92M

1.19% growth

Median Property Value

$148,100

5.04% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2018, Kentucky had a population of 4.47M people with a median age of 39.1 and a median household income of $50,247. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Kentucky grew from 4.45M to 4.47M, a 0.319% increase and its median household income grew from $48,375 to $50,247, a 3.87% increase.

The population of Kentucky is 84.5% White Alone, 7.82% Black or African American Alone, and 3.61% Hispanic or Latino. 5.64% of the people in Kentucky speak a non-English language, and 97.8% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Kentucky are University of Kentucky (7,232 degrees awarded in 2017), University of Louisville (5,172 degrees), and Western Kentucky University (4,364 degrees).

The median property value in Kentucky is $148,100, and the homeownership rate is 67.4%. Most people in Kentucky commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 22.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Kentucky is 2 cars per household.

Photo by Bill Brine

United States

Economy

The economy of Kentucky employs 1.92M people. The largest industries in Kentucky are Restaurants & Food Services (128,623 people), Elementary & secondary schools (125,288 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (106,330 people), and the highest paying industries are Clay building material & refractories manufacturing ($140,447), Rail transportation ($106,040), and Commercial, industrial & other intangible assets rental & leasing ($105,354).

Median household income in Kentucky is $50,247. Males in Kentucky have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $44,811. The income inequality in Kentucky (measured using the Gini index) is 0.454, which is lower than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$50,247

2018 value

± $567

3.87%

1 Year Growth

± 1.66%

Households in Kentucky have a median annual income of $50,247, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $48,375 in 2017, which represents a 3.87% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Kentucky compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$58,924

Average Male Salary

± $1,584

$44,811

Average Female Salary

± $1,175

In 2018, full-time male employees in Kentucky made 1.31 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Kentucky by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $51,531 ± $9,168

  2. White

    $46,110 ± $966

  3. Two or More Races

    $40,496 ± $7,177

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Kentucky workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.12 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Kentucky by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

0.454

2018 Wage GINI

0.459

2017 Wage GINI

In 2018, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.454 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.02% decline from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2018 the GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kentucky in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Kentucky across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Oldham County, KY

  2. Boone County, KY

  3. Kenton County, KY

In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Kentucky was Oldham County, KY with a value of $102,033, followed by Boone County, KY and Kenton County, KY, with respective values of $77,429 and $64,441.

The following map shows all of the counties in Kentucky colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

18.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Kentucky (784k out of 4.29M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    636,627 ± 5,609

  2. Black

    96,845 ± 2,295

  3. Hispanic

    43,098 ± 1,529

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Kentucky is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

1.92M

2018 Value

1.19%

1 Year growth

± 1.19%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Kentucky grew at a rate of 1.19%, from 1.89M employees to 1.92M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Kentucky, are Elementary & middle school teachers (50,678 people), Registered nurses (50,241 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (49,227 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Kentucky.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Kentucky, by number of employees, are Elementary & middle school teachers (50,678 people), Registered nurses (50,241 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (49,227 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Kentucky has an unusually high number of residents working as Mining machine operators (7.27 times higher than expected), School bus monitors (5.42 times), and Tax examiners & collectors, & revenue agents (3.25 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Kentucky, by average salary, are Surgeons ($288,439), Physicians ($244,260), and Dentists ($235,548).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

1.92M

2018 Value

1.19%

1 Year growth

± 1.19%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Kentucky grew at a rate of 1.19%, from 1.89M employees to 1.92M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Kentucky, are Restaurants & Food Services (128,623 people), Elementary & secondary schools (125,288 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (106,330 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Kentucky, though some of these residents may live in Kentucky and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Kentucky, by number of employees, are Restaurants & Food Services (128,623 people), Elementary & secondary schools (125,288 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (106,330 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Kentucky has an unusually high number of Coal mining (11.9 times higher than expected), Household appliance manufacturing (8.53 times), and Aluminum production & processing (4.66 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Kentucky, by average salary, are Clay building material & refractories manufacturing ($140,447), Rail transportation ($106,040), and Commercial, industrial & other intangible assets rental & leasing ($105,354).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Kentucky to other states, or from other states to Kentucky.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Motorized vehicles

    $74.6B

  2. Base metals

    $17.8B

  3. Gasoline

    $17.2B

In 2015, the top outbound Kentucky product (by dollars) was Motorized vehicles with $74.6B, followed by Base metals ($17.8B) and Gasoline ($17.2B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Kentucky products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

$301B

2020 Value

$398B

Projected 2045 Value

32.3% growth

In 2020, total outbound Kentucky trade was $301B. This is expected to increase 32.3% to $398B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Kentucky trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Kentucky to other states, or from other states to Kentucky.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. Ohio

    $23.5B

  2. Indiana

    $20.7B

  3. Tennessee

    $17.9B

In 2015, the top outbound Kentucky domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Ohio with $23.5B, followed by Indiana with $20.7B and Tennessee and $17.9B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Kentucky shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

94.6% of the population of Kentucky has health coverage, with 45.3% on employee plans, 23.5% on Medicaid, 12.3% on Medicare, 11.4% on non-group plans, and 2.08% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the state of Kentucky was $8,004 in 2014. This is a 6.11% increase from the previous year ($7,543).

Primary care physicians in Kentucky see 1507 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.803% increase from the previous year (1495 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1561 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 525 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Harlan County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (18%). Additionally, Leslie County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (43.3%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,507 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Kentucky see an average of 1,507 patients per year. This represents a 0.803% increase from the previous year (1,495 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Kentucky in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

$8,004

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$4,551

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$7,016

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$10,368

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Kentucky (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 6.11%, from $7,543 to $8,004.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

5.38%

Uninsured

45.3%

Employer Coverage

23.5%

Medicaid

12.3%

Medicare

11.4%

Non-Group

2.08%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Kentucky grew by 4.92% from 5.13% to 5.38%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Kentucky changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Harlan County

    18% prevalence

  2. Letcher County

    17.9% prevalence

  3. Lawrence County

    17.8% prevalence

Harlan County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Kentucky, at 18%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Kentucky by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Kentucky is home to a population of 4.47M people, from which 97.8% are citizens. As of 2017, 3.61% of Kentucky residents were born outside of the country (161k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Kentucky is composed of 3.78M White Alone residents (84.5%), 350k Black or African American Alone residents (7.82%), 162k Hispanic or Latino residents (3.61%), 96.9k Two or More Races residents (2.17%), 64.8k Asian Alone residents (1.45%), 8.66k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.194%), 6.88k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.154%), and 4k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.0896%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Kentucky are Spanish (116,714 speakers), German (12,723 speakers), and Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (8,830 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

39

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

39

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 1.2

In 2018, the median age of all people in Kentucky was 39.1. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 39, were generally older than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 39. But people in Kentucky are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Kentucky residents was 39.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

3.61%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

161k people

3.47%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

154k people

As of 2017, 3.61% of Kentucky residents (161k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Kentucky was 3.47%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Kentucky compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    27,559 ± 4,063 people

  2. Cuba

    11,069 ± 2,580 people

  3. China

    9,810 ± 2,429 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kentucky was Mexico, the natal country of 27,559 Kentucky residents, followed by Cuba with 11,069 and China with 9,810.

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Citizenship

97.8%

2018 Citizenship

97.8%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 97.8% of Kentucky residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Kentucky was 97.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Kentucky compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    3.78M ± 2.08k

  2. Black or African American Alone

    350k ± 6.48k

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    162k ± 8.52k

In 2018, there were 10.8 times more White Alone residents (3.78M people) in Kentucky than any other race or ethnicity. There were 350k Black or African American Alone and 162k Hispanic or Latino residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Kentucky as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish

    116,714 speakers (2.78%)

  2. German

    12,723 speakers (0.303%)

  3. Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)

    8,830 speakers (0.21%)

5.64% of Kentucky citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.9%. In 2018, the most common non-English language spoken in Kentucky was Spanish. 2.78% of the overall population of Kentucky are native Spanish speakers. 0.303% speak German and 0.21% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    88,002 ± 3,279

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    52,350 ± 4,293

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    40,815 ± 3,609

Kentucky has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.68 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2017, universities in Kentucky awarded 77,664 degrees. The student population of Kentucky is skewed towards women, with 113,722 male students and 151,300 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Kentucky are White (63,168 and 83.5%), followed by Black or African American (5,434 and 7.18%), Hispanic or Latino (2,097 and 2.77%), and Unknown (1,805 and 2.39%).

The largest universities in Kentucky by number of degrees awarded are University of Kentucky (7,232 and 9.31%), University of Louisville (5,172 and 6.66%), and Western Kentucky University (4,364 and 5.62%).

The most popular majors in Kentucky are Liberal Arts & Sciences (5,374 and 6.92%), General Business Administration & Management (3,917 and 5.04%), and Registered Nursing (3,550 and 4.57%).

The median tuition costs in Kentucky are $24,000 for private four year colleges, and $9,178 and $20,952 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. Registered Nursing

    1,850 degrees awarded

  2. General Psychology

    1,270 degrees awarded

  3. General Biological Sciences

    960 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Kentucky was Registered Nursing with 1,850 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Kentucky according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. University of Kentucky

    7,232 degrees awarded

  2. University of Louisville

    5,172 degrees awarded

  3. Western Kentucky University

    4,364 degrees awarded

$9,178

Median In-State Public

$24,000

Median Private

In 2017, the Kentucky institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Kentucky with 7,232 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

35,427

Degrees Awarded to Men

42,237

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 35,427 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Kentucky, which is 0.839 times less than the 42,237 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Kentucky by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    63,168 degrees awarded

  2. Black or African American

    5,434 degrees awarded

  3. Hispanic or Latino

    2,097 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Kentucky were to White students. These 63,168 degrees mean that there were 11.6 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 5,434 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Kentucky was $148,100 in 2018, which is 0.645 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $141,000 to $148,100, a 5.04% increase. The homeownership rate in Kentucky is 67.4%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Kentucky have an average commute time of 22.5 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Kentucky is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$148,100

2018 Median

± $1,710

$141,000

2017 Median

± $1,619

In 2018, the median property value in Kentucky grew to to $148,100 from the previous year's value of $141,000.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Kentucky compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Kentucky the largest share of households have a property value in the $150k - $175k range.

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$50,247

Median Household Income

± $567

1.73M

Number of Households

± 19,840

In 2018, the median household income of the 1.73M households in Kentucky grew to $50,247 from the previous year's value of $48,375.

The following chart displays the households in Kentucky distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Property Taxes

< $800

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Kentucky distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Kentucky the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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Rent vs Own

67.4%

2018 Homeownership

66.5%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 67.4% of the housing units in Kentucky were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.5%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Kentucky compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Commute Time

22.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Kentucky have a shorter commute time (22.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.05% of the workforce in Kentucky have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Kentucky compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    82.4%

  2. Carpooled

    9.36%

  3. Worked At Home

    4.06%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Kentucky was Drove Alone (82.4%), followed by those who Carpooled (9.36%) and those who Worked At Home (4.06%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Kentucky distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Kentucky have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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