The Town FilesCrab Orchard, Kentucky
City in Lincoln County · population 744 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $98,200
- Household income
- $34,632
- Jan low / Jul high
- 27° / 86°
- Snow a year
- 7 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 17
- Median age
- 39.1
Crab Orchard is a city of 744 people in Lincoln County, Kentucky. The median home is worth $98,200, below the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). It ranks better for families than 80% of Kentucky towns, easier by car than 80% of Kentucky towns, quieter than 71% of Kentucky towns.
How Crab Orchard 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 Crab Orchard is worth $98,200, below the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $34,632, which is more affordable than 64% of Kentucky towns. Median rent is $608 a month. 60.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Crab Orchard | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $98,200 | $161,450 |
| Median rent | $608 | $837 |
| Median household income | $34,632 | $54,969 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.8× | 3.0× |
| Homeownership | 60.9% | 63.5% |
| Median year built | 1968 | 1974 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.3% | — |
Who lives in Crab Orchard
| People | Crab Orchard | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.1 | 39.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.2% | 18.1% |
| Under 18 | 19.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.4% | 19.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 24.1% | 18.0% |
| Veterans | 11.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| Average commute | 29.5 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 82.0% | 88.6% |
Weather in Crab Orchard
July highs average 85.7°F and January lows 26.8°F. About 50.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 7.4 inches of snow (typical Kentucky town: 9.4 in). Expect about 25 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 91 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Crab Orchard since 1950, compared with 19 for the typical Kentucky town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 3, 1974 about 5.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 3, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on April 25, 2015.
Severe weather in Lincoln County since 1996
Lincoln County has been included in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3633: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 24, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4864: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3626: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| February 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3624: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides |
| April 10, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4702: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Lincoln County
Lincoln County had 3,920 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,735 a year. Unemployment was 5.1% in 2023; in Crab Orchard itself the ACS puts it at 18.9%.
Public schools in Crab Orchard
1 public school with 284 students, about 12.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crab Orchard Elementary School | PK-5 | 284 | 12.3 |
Towns near Crab Orchard
- Brodhead, KY6.3 mi · 1,117 people · home $150,200
- Stanford, KY9.5 mi · 3,640 people · home $155,000
- Lancaster, KY11.4 mi · 3,899 people · home $175,300
- Mount Vernon, KY12.0 mi · 2,453 people · home $111,400
- Berea, KY14.6 mi · 15,539 people · home $199,900
- Junction City, KY17.6 mi · 2,268 people · home $117,100
- Danville, KY19.1 mi · 17,234 people · home $207,600
- Science Hill, KY21.2 mi · 657 people · home $138,700
Crab Orchard questions
Is Crab Orchard, Kentucky a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Crab Orchard scores better for retirees than 27% of Kentucky towns and quieter than 71%. 16.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.1).
How much does a house cost in Crab Orchard?
The median owner-occupied home in Crab Orchard is valued at $98,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $34,632, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $608 a month.
What is the weather like in Crab Orchard?
July highs average 85.7°F and January lows 26.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 50.6 inches of precipitation a year and 7.4 inches of snow.
Does Crab Orchard get tornadoes?
17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Crab Orchard since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 3, 1974. 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)