Harlan County, Kentucky Housing Market

In Harlan County, Kentucky, the median home value is $73,700, with a median monthly rent of $678. This places Harlan County at #3106 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #117 within Kentucky.

Median Home Value $73,700
Median Rent $678/mo
Owner Occupancy 71.6%
Price/Rent Ratio 9.1

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2023

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Harlan County fell -1.0% year-over-year as of 2023. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

4,358
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $859
  • Establishments: 454
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🚚

Migration Patterns

+216
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 7,504 (avg $41,135)
  • Outflow: 7,288 (avg $41,301)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Harlan County Compares

MetricHarlan CountyKentucky AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $73,700 $160,835 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $678 $793 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 71.6% 73.4% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 9.1 16.6 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Harlan County is 54.2% below the Kentucky state average and 67.6% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $678/month is 14.5% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 9.1, buying a home in Harlan County is generally more favorable than renting for those planning to stay long-term. A ratio below 15 typically signals that purchasing is financially advantageous over a multi-year horizon.

Harlan County has an owner-occupancy rate of 71.6%, compared to 73.4% in Kentucky and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more renter-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Willacy County Texas $73,600 $809
Lee County Arkansas $75,300 $667
Republic County Kansas $75,600 $664
Wolfe County Kentucky $75,800 $501
Webster County West Virginia $76,100 $709

Other Counties in Kentucky

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Wolfe County $75,800 $501 73.6%
Knott County $77,000 $756 72.7%
Breathitt County $70,300 $548 76.6%
Leslie County $69,000 $585 85.5%
Fulton County $79,100 $570 61.8%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).