RANK #947 / 1001 NAT · #19 / 19 KY · POP 62,983
1YR FORECAST: -0.6%
5YR OUTLOOK: +15%
Laurel County, Kentucky, is perhaps best known as the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken, with the original Harland Sanders Café and Museum located just north of Corbin. The county, with London as its seat, is situated in southeastern Kentucky, approximately 75 miles from Lexington. It offers a blend of natural beauty and historical significance, with portions of the Daniel Boone National Forest and Laurel River Lake providing extensive opportunities for hiking, boating, fishing, and scuba diving. The community maintains a connection to its pioneer past through sites like Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park, which features hiking trails along historic routes.
Life in Laurel County offers a relatively affordable cost of living. The local economy is supported by a mix of manufacturing, agriculture, and retail, with ongoing efforts to attract new businesses through the development of industrial parks. London, the largest town, is recognized as the "Cycling Capital of Kentucky" due to its trails. The Laurel County Public Schools system serves the area, with London being home to several elementary, middle, and high schools. Residents tend to own their homes, and the area is considered family-friendly.
Laurel County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices -1.6% YoY, population +0.4%, wages +3.6%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Prices declining
Moderate climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 7.7x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
The data is not encouraging — Laurel County scores just 4/100 on the Boom Town Index, ranking #947 of 1001 counties. Job growth at -0.7% and median household income of $57,771 reflect an economy that has been contracting or stagnating relative to the rest of the country.
By national standards, Laurel County is quite affordable. Homes here have a median value of $159,500, and the income-to-home-value ratio of 0.36 is well above the U.S. average — especially with median rent at just $813/month. Residents can generally buy a home without being cost-burdened.
Population and employment in Laurel County are both close to flat — population +0.4% YoY and jobs -0.7%. Home values shifted -1.6% over the past 12 months. A steady-state county, neither expanding quickly nor shrinking.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 2.91% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests Laurel County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.