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Pike County, KY: population growth, jobs and income

Pike County lost 637 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−1.2%).

Pike County had an estimated 54,721 residents in 2025, down 6.4% (3,738 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Kentucky as a whole (+2.2%), and the 115th fastest growth of 120 counties in Kentucky.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Pike County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Pike County, ranked against Kentucky and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$858/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes16.4%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months42025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

New homes permitted

14

2025

0.3 per 1,000 residents

Small base: the change swings on a few homes or people, so we don't show it.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 246 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 16,918 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −5.0% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 6.2% in 2025, 0.8 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 14 new homes in 2025, or 0.3 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $44,312 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +27.7% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 3,006th.

Part of the Pikeville, KY micro area.

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Pike County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202554,721−637
202455,358−663
202356,021−357
202256,378−1,121
202157,499−960
202058,459–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Pike County

Pike County lost 3,738 people since 2020; the biggest drag was natural change (−2,343).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−427−2,343
International migrationfrom and to other countries+35+156
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−246−1,554
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+1+3
Total change−637−3,738

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn KentuckyAmong U.S. counties
Population growth115th of 1203,006th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents111th of 1202,509th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth98th of 1202,464th of 3,092
Median household income100th of 1202,950th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate106th of 1202,922nd of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents67th of 972,609th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

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The County Growth and Demographics Report for Pike County, KY as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Pike County's population change (−6.4%) was ahead of 3 of its 8 neighbouring counties and behind 5.

2 of its 8 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than Pike County's $44,312 (2020–24).

Pike County, KY and its 8 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Pike County, KY This county54,721−6.4%−4.50.3$44,312
Mingo County, WV21,455−8.7%−4.00.0$38,119
Buchanan County, VA18,492−8.7%−5.30.6$42,886
Dickenson County, VA13,236−6.0%−2.20.4$47,254
Martin County, KY10,697−4.9%8.7–$37,042
Floyd County, KY34,401−3.9%0.60.1$41,279
Wise County, VA34,824−3.5%0.11.3$52,943
Knott County, KY13,321−5.9%−2.0–$41,761
Letcher County, KY19,952−7.0%−5.70.1$41,793

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 120 Kentucky counties · Every state

Questions

Is Pike County growing?

No. Its population fell 6.4% between 2020 and 2025, about 3,738 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Kentucky as a whole changed +2.2% over the same years. That ranks 115th of 120 counties in Kentucky for population growth.

How many people moved to Pike County?

On net, none in 2025: about 246 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Pike County?

It averaged 6.2% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Pike County?

About 54,721 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Pike County?

Private employers there had 16,918 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −5.0% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Kentucky

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Kentucky county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Pike County data alerts

Email me when Pike County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Pike County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.