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Which counties in Kentucky are adding jobs fastest?

Gallatin County (+63.8%), Wolfe County (+49.8%) and Ballard County (+39.0%) added private-sector jobs fastest in Kentucky between 2018 and 2023.

Data as of 2023 · updated

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All 120 ranked Kentucky counties

Kentucky counties ranked by private-sector job growth
RankCountyChange 2018–23Private jobs 2023Residents
1Gallatin County+63.8%1,3738,840
2Wolfe County+49.8%1,0596,298
3Ballard County+39.0%1,6177,594
4Allen County+36.8%4,11922,536
5Butler County+29.8%2,18512,520
6Todd County+24.3%1,79412,972
7Grant County+24.3%5,11726,181
8Lawrence County+23.2%2,95015,765
9Nelson County+20.2%17,21449,036
10Powell County+19.8%1,87812,812
11Lyon County+17.9%1,5969,123
12Bullitt County+17.6%24,81086,454
13Washington County+17.4%3,39012,368
14Spencer County+16.1%1,34520,998
15Carroll County+15.7%6,60011,141
16Kenton County+14.9%68,018175,779
17Magoffin County+14.5%1,25711,110
18Scott County+14.3%26,71162,262
19Mercer County+14.3%5,35123,733
20Edmonson County+13.6%95812,749
21Anderson County+12.3%4,17525,225
22Garrard County+12.3%1,65418,207
23Oldham County+12.0%14,36970,986
24Trimble County+11.8%8468,701
25Carlisle County+9.9%6914,747
26Lincoln County+9.3%2,71025,353
27Caldwell County+9.2%3,55712,609
28Green County+9.2%1,29811,644
29Ohio County+8.7%7,85823,934
30Harrison County+8.7%4,59419,627
31Graves County+8.6%9,90537,050
32Warren County+7.7%59,803149,375
33Livingston County+6.5%1,8238,863
34Fleming County+6.4%2,32115,787
35Bath County+6.2%1,50113,176
36Daviess County+6.1%43,758104,898
37Larue County+6.0%2,09515,184
38Webster County+5.9%1,82212,929
39Boone County+5.7%88,138145,316
40McCreary County+5.6%1,52217,124
41Fayette County+5.5%171,507329,751
42Morgan County+5.3%2,01014,415
43Jefferson County+5.2%470,153795,222
44Meade County+5.2%3,63330,699
45Clay County+4.9%2,64219,465
46Jackson County+4.7%1,03213,325
47Harlan County+4.6%4,65224,725
48Cumberland County+4.5%1,1815,992
49Russell County+4.4%5,04718,608
50Simpson County+4.4%8,63020,788
51Campbell County+4.0%25,89195,441
52Madison County+3.9%25,781101,696
53Rowan County+3.6%8,31924,476
54Crittenden County+3.2%1,8218,807
55Union County+3.1%3,98012,839
56McCracken County+3.1%34,58167,553
57Hopkins County+2.9%14,58245,127
58Marshall County+2.9%9,64531,659
59Owsley County+2.8%4013,932
60Hancock County+2.4%3,3729,050
61Carter County+1.9%5,02926,149
62Muhlenberg County+1.5%6,37230,634
63Pulaski County+1.4%21,71267,384
64Grayson County+1.0%6,33327,406
65Perry County+0.9%9,01426,555
66Montgomery County+0.5%9,70728,822
67Franklin County+0.4%16,89752,649
68Bracken County+0.2%9438,511
69Mason County+0.2%6,95116,936
70Rockcastle County+0.0%3,06016,148
71Woodford County−0.2%7,91327,883
72Estill County−0.3%1,54213,962
73Boyd County−0.3%21,52247,751
74Laurel County−0.5%23,99263,746
75Breckinridge County−0.6%2,48021,503
76Leslie County−0.6%1,1259,627
77Pendleton County−0.7%1,64414,800
78Christian County−0.8%24,32770,115
79Henderson County−0.9%16,37544,255
80Hardin County−1.4%36,716113,482
81Jessamine County−1.5%16,39557,147
82Menifee County−1.7%4546,430
83Calloway County−1.8%13,70939,421
84Monroe County−1.8%2,64911,191
85Casey County−2.3%3,19116,205
86Metcalfe County−2.4%1,23410,583
87Bell County−2.4%6,69222,829
88Bourbon County−2.5%5,08420,243
89Adair County−2.6%4,06619,423
90Trigg County−2.9%2,20214,512
91Taylor County−2.9%9,96826,763
92Floyd County−3.5%7,60434,401
93Clark County−3.5%12,46637,888
94Logan County−3.9%7,29728,669
95Greenup County−4.1%5,07935,213
96Wayne County−4.2%4,11419,597
97Marion County−4.2%8,16220,115
98Pike County−5.0%16,91854,721
99Fulton County−5.5%1,4616,218
100Hickman County−5.5%8074,372
101Hart County−5.6%4,07320,117
102Shelby County−5.7%17,44651,243
103Johnson County−6.0%3,59222,051
104Whitley County−6.7%10,05837,297
105Letcher County−7.3%3,17119,952
106Lewis County−7.5%1,19012,901
107Owen County−8.2%96911,601
108Boyle County−10.1%13,62031,632
109Barren County−10.6%12,88245,641
110Nicholas County−10.9%4157,949
111Martin County−11.2%1,06210,697
112Elliott County−11.8%3057,265
113Henry County−13.1%1,70716,447
114Clinton County−13.2%2,5659,139
115Lee County−14.3%1,3877,297
116McLean County−19.6%9479,064
117Knott County−19.8%1,39913,321
118Knox County−20.2%7,10229,532
119Robertson County−23.1%1332,325
120Breathitt County−37.4%1,94512,558

How this is ranked

The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

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Questions

Which county in Kentucky has the fastest job growth?

Gallatin County: +63.8%, ahead of Wolfe County (+49.8%) and Ballard County (+39.0%), of 120 Kentucky counties ranked.

How is this ranking calculated?

The change in paid employees of private employers in mid-March between 2018 and 2023 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns). Government jobs and the self-employed are not counted. Counties with fewer than 1,000 residents, or without a figure for the same period as the others, are not ranked.

More county rankings for Kentucky

Private-sector job growth in other states

Across the U.S.