How many people live in Harlan County, KY?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 25,100 people living in Harlan County, KY. That makes Harlan County the 45th-most populous county in Kentucky. It is home to 0.54% of people living in the state.
25.1K
population of Harlan County, KY (2024)
0.54%
County share of the Kentucky population (2024)
About 25,100 people lived in Harlan County, KY in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Harlan County, KY’s age demographics?
About 5,000 Harlan County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 20% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 18.1% of Kentucky’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 6,000 Harlan County residents, or 24% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 22.4% of Kentucky’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A lower share of Harlan County, KY's population is aged 25–44 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Harlan County, KY’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 94.9% of the Harlan County, KY population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Harlan County’s Hispanic population accounts for 1.2%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 1.9% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Harlan County, KY has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Kentucky as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Harlan County, KY is Harlan with about 1,800 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Harlan County, KY ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Harlan | 1,831 |
| 2. | Cumberland | 1,788 |
| 3. | Evarts | 601 |
| 4. | Lynch | 601 |
| 5. | Loyall | 593 |
| 6. | Benham | 466 |
| 7. | Balance of Harlan County | 19,172 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
