RANK #222 / 1001 NAT · #3 / 19 KY · POP 67,564
1YR FORECAST: +1.5%
5YR OUTLOOK: +33%
McCracken County, Kentucky, is distinguished by Paducah, its county seat, a city recognized as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, particularly for its quilting heritage. Located in Western Kentucky at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, Paducah is a short drive from larger cities like Nashville and St. Louis. The community offers a blend of historic charm and natural beauty, with the Ohio Riverfront featuring murals and access to the Greenway Trail for walking and biking. Commutes in McCracken County are shorter than the national average, at around 18.7 minutes.
Life in McCracken County is characterized by a lower cost of living compared to the national average, making it an option for families and retirees. The county offers a mix of quiet rural areas and the amenities of Paducah, including parks like Bob Noble Park with its lake and recreational facilities. McCracken County Public Schools are highly rated, and the district has a joint open-enrollment policy with Paducah Public Schools. Recent economic developments in the area include significant investments in energy, such as a uranium enrichment facility, and projects related to data centers.
McCracken County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices +0.5% YoY, population -0.0%, wages +2.9%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Below national median (11.3x)
Well below national median
Below-average climate & terrain
Below national median (15x)
Housing is fairly valued at 5.2x 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 →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility
Global Laser Enrichment (GLE)
|
$1,760M | Planned |
|
AI Data Centers at Paducah Site
US Department of Energy (DOE)
|
$500M | Proposed |
|
McCracken County Solar PV Project
AES (formerly Community Energy)
|
$60M | Planned |
|
Amazon Last-Mile Distribution Facility
Amazon.com Services, LLC
|
$50M | Operating |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
With a Boom Town Index score of 78/100, McCracken County sits in the upper half of all 1001 ranked counties. Employment is expanding at +1.2%, and median household income stands at $64,373 — indicators that suggest solid fundamentals even if it's not among the fastest-growing counties in KY.
Housing in McCracken County is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $188,100 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.34, with rents averaging $898/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
Employers in McCracken County are hiring — job growth of +1.2% — but the population is close to flat (-0.0% YoY). Home values moved +0.5% over the past year. Labor demand is outpacing local population growth, which tends to tighten wages and housing.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 2.22% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests McCracken County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.