19 counties · Boom Town Index

Kentucky

Avg BTI Score
44 / 100
Population
2.6M
+0.8% avg growth
National Rank
#33 of 51

State Overview

Kentucky's economy in 2025-2026 is experiencing continued, albeit modest, growth, driven by significant private sector investments and a focus on key industries like automotive, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing. The state recorded its second-best year for new private sector investments in 2025, totaling $10.5 billion and projected to create nearly 9,600 full-time jobs. Major employers such as Toyota in Georgetown and GE Appliances in Louisville are expanding operations, contributing to job creation and rising incentivized hourly wages.

The housing market in Kentucky shows signs of strengthening, with increasing inventory and steady price appreciation. However, a statewide housing shortage, estimated at 206,000 units in 2024, remains a concern, with legislative efforts to address affordability and supply facing challenges. Migration data indicates a modest net population gain for Kentucky, primarily fueled by international immigration, with people moving from neighboring states like Ohio, Tennessee, and Indiana. Growth corridors are evident along the I-64, I-65, and I-75 interstate systems, with counties like Jefferson, Fayette, and Warren experiencing population increases.

Median Household Income
$68,214
State median across 19 counties
Median Home Value
$244,400
Income-to-home ratio: 0.31
Building Permits
11,063
Total residential permits
Natural Amenity
5.4 / 10
#38 of 49 · USDA scale

Kentucky Counties

19 counties
Rank County BTI Score Safety Proj. Growth GDP Pop Growth Income Ratio Home Price Climate P/R
01 Pulaski County 91 B- +0.1% — +0.6% +1.9% 8.3x -4.8% 0.6 17x
02 Jessamine County 80 B- +2.0% — +1.5% -0.4% 14.0x +3.0% -2.0 16x
03 McCracken County 78 C+ +1.5% — -0.0% +3.2% 5.2x +0.5% -0.9 13x
04 Pike County 74 B- -1.3% — -1.3% +5.1% 5.9x -12.7% -0.2 11x
05 Bullitt County 65 B- +0.1% — +1.0% +3.8% 12.8x +1.1% -0.9 14x
06 Daviess County 53 C+ +1.0% — +0.4% +4.4% 7.7x +1.6% -1.2 14x
07 Campbell County 47 B+ +0.9% — +0.2% +0.4% 12.7x +3.3% 0.4 14x
08 Franklin County 44 C +0.0% — +0.5% -1.8% 5.1x -1.7% -0.3 16x
09 Kenton County 43 B +0.8% — +0.9% +1.4% 7.6x +1.8% -1.6 14x
10 Fayette County 41 D +1.1% — +0.8% +2.7% 6.9x +2.5% -2.4 16x
11 Madison County 38 B+ +0.6% — +1.8% +1.5% 11.1x +1.6% -0.1 18x
12 Warren County 37 C+ -0.0% — +2.5% +1.5% 8.9x +0.7% -0.7 16x
13 Boone County 30 A -0.1% — +1.6% +4.9% 6.1x +1.8% 0.3 13x
14 Hardin County 27 C+ -0.5% — +0.4% +0.1% 9.3x -2.2% -0.7 15x
15 Scott County 25 B- +1.7% — +2.2% +1.8% 7.2x +3.9% -1.9 16x
16 Jefferson County 23 F +0.1% — +0.7% +3.0% 5.4x +2.2% 0.3 15x
17 Christian County 20 D +0.4% — -0.7% +2.4% 7.1x +0.4% -0.6 13x
18 Oldham County 11 B- -0.0% — +1.0% +0.8% 24.0x +1.2% -0.8 27x
19 Laurel County 4 C -0.6% — +0.4% +1.4% 7.7x -1.6% 1.2 16x

Capital Investment in Kentucky

Tracked Projects · Public Records
$69.9B
Total tracked investment
58,121
Jobs announced
67
Projects across 17 counties

Where the money is going

Data Centers $48.0B 69%
Manufacturing $9.2B 13%
Energy $8.5B 12%
Commercial/Residential $2.1B 3%
Infrastructure $1.3B 2%
Industrial/Logistics $608M 1%

Top counties by investment

  1. 01 Pike County $35.4B
    4 projects · 36,240 jobs
  2. 02 Hardin County $6.4B
    6 projects · 5,600 jobs
  3. 03 Oldham County $6.1B
    3 projects · 176 jobs
  4. 04 Warren County $5.6B
    5 projects · 2,650 jobs
  5. 05 Fayette County $5.3B
    4 projects · 500 jobs
  6. 06 McCracken County $2.4B
    4 projects · 390 jobs

Largest projects in Kentucky

Project County Amount Status
SoftBank AI Data Center & Natural Gas Power Plant
SoftBank · Data Centers · 35,000 jobs
 Pike County $33.0B Under Construction
Project Lincoln: OC Data Center
Western Hospitality Partners - Kentucky LLC · Data Centers · 176 jobs
 Oldham County $6.0B Proposed
BlueOval SK Battery Park
Ford Motor Company and SK Innovation · Manufacturing · 5,000 jobs
 Hardin County $5.8B Under Construction
AWS Data Center Campus
Amazon Web Services (AWS) · Data Centers · 100 jobs
 Fayette County $5.0B Planned
Amazon Data Center
Amazon · Data Centers · 200 jobs
 Warren County $3.0B Planned
EV Battery Gigafactory
Envision AESC · Manufacturing · 2,000 jobs
 Warren County $2.0B Under Construction
Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility
Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) · Energy · 240 jobs
 McCracken County $1.8B Planned
Oklo/Meta Nuclear Power Campus (1.2 GW)
Oklo Inc. / Meta Platforms, Inc. · Energy · 1,000 jobs
 Pike County $1.5B Planned
→ Methodology · How We Tracked $4T Across 858 Counties

Source: public records, corporate announcements, state EDC filings. Tracking projects with $25M+ in announced investment or 500+ jobs. Some figures are estimates where exact totals weren't disclosed.

Kentucky shaded relief terrain map
SRTM 30m shaded relief
State Spotlight · 2026-04-29

Kentucky housing inventory rises as legislative reforms stall

Driving economic expansion

Private sector investment continues to fuel Kentucky's economy, with $10.5 billion in new projects announced in 2025. This includes significant expansions by Toyota in Georgetown and GE Appliances in Louisville, alongside a new uranium enrichment facility in McCracken County. These investments are concentrated in automotive, aerospace, and advanced materials sectors.

Current housing market

Kentucky's housing market is seeing increased inventory, with new listings in March 2026 jumping 38.5% month-over-month statewide. The median sales price reached $276,400 in March 2026, a 4.3% increase year-over-year. While home values are appreciating at a sustainable pace, a significant portion of sales still occur below asking price, indicating a balanced market.

Migration patterns

Kentucky experienced modest net population growth from July 2024 to July 2025, primarily due to international migration. Domestically, Ohio, Tennessee, and Indiana were the top states for movers to Kentucky in 2024. Conversely, some eastern and western Kentucky counties, such as Pike and Floyd, continue to see population decreases.

Headwinds

A substantial housing shortage, estimated at 206,000 units in 2024, persists across Kentucky, posing a barrier to workforce participation and economic development. Legislative efforts in the 2026 session to address housing supply and affordability, including Senate Bill 9, ultimately collapsed due to disagreements over regulatory reforms and short-term rental provisions. Additionally, workforce challenges and lower educational attainment in some regions continue to affect the state's long-term economic opportunity.

Key facts

  • Kentucky announced $10.5 billion in private sector investments in 2025, projected to create nearly 9,600 jobs. (LINK nky, January 2026)
  • The median home sale price in Kentucky was $276,400 in March 2026, up 4.3% year-over-year. (whas11.com, April 2026)
  • Kentucky's population increased by 18,492 residents from July 2024 to July 2025, reaching 4,606,864. (U.S. Census Bureau, March 2026)
  • The 2026 Recommended Highway Plan proposes nearly $9.5 billion for over 1,350 infrastructure projects. (WDRB, March 2026)
  • The average incentivized hourly wage in Kentucky was $29.58 in 2025, the highest on record. (LINK nky, January 2026)
Updated 2026-04-29 · grounded research
15 sources
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  8. kentucky.com
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  11. siteselection.com
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  13. commercelexington.com
  14. wdrb.com
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