The Town FilesCawood, Kentucky
Community in Harlan County · population 630 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $69,800
- Jan low / Jul high
- 26° / 85°
- Snow a year
- 17 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 34.9
Cawood is a community of 630 people in Harlan County, Kentucky. The median home is worth $69,800, below the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). It ranks quieter than 84% of Kentucky towns, better transit than 72% of Kentucky towns, better for families than 70% of Kentucky towns.
How Cawood ranks
Percentile among Kentucky towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Kentucky towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Cawood is worth $69,800, below the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). 88.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cawood | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $69,800 | $161,450 |
| Median rent | — | $837 |
| Median household income | — | $54,969 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 3.0× |
| Homeownership | 88.1% | 63.5% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1974 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Cawood
| People | Cawood | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.9 | 39.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.6% | 18.1% |
| Under 18 | 20.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.7% | 19.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 18.0% |
| Veterans | 11.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 0.0% | 7.5% |
| Average commute | — min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.1% | 88.6% |
Weather in Cawood
July highs average 85.0°F and January lows 25.9°F. About 52.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 17.3 inches of snow (typical Kentucky town: 9.4 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 101 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cawood since 1950, compared with 19 for the typical Kentucky town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on May 16, 2023 about 8.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 16, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 35 times; the largest was 5.00 inches on April 23, 1968.
Severe weather in Harlan County since 1996
Harlan County has been included in 33 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3633: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 3, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3626: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| February 24, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4860: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| February 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3624: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides |
| November 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | DR-4848: Remnants Of Hurricane Helene |
Jobs and pay in Harlan County
Harlan County had 6,280 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,461 a year. Unemployment was 6.6% in 2023; in Cawood itself the ACS puts it at 0%.
Public schools in Cawood
1 public school with 209 students, about 13.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cawood Elementary School | PK-8 | 209 | 13.1 |
Towns near Cawood
- Evarts, KY5.5 mi · 859 people · home $71,400
- Harlan, KY5.9 mi · 1,776 people · home $89,200
- Loyall, KY7.7 mi · 638 people · home $75,900
- South Wallins, KY9.4 mi · 838 people · home $55,300
- Jonesville, VA9.7 mi · 872 people · home $115,400
- Pennington Gap, VA11.2 mi · 1,624 people · home $92,900
- Rose Hill, VA11.8 mi · 729 people · home —
- Dryden, VA16.0 mi · 986 people · home $130,300
Cawood questions
Is Cawood, Kentucky a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cawood scores better for retirees than 46% of Kentucky towns and quieter than 84%. 16.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.9).
How much does a house cost in Cawood?
The median owner-occupied home in Cawood is valued at $69,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of —. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Cawood?
July highs average 85.0°F and January lows 25.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 52.2 inches of precipitation a year and 17.3 inches of snow.
Does Cawood get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cawood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on May 16, 2023. The typical Kentucky town has had 19.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)