The Town FilesFlat Lick, Kentucky
Community in Knox County · population 850 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $9,999
- Household income
- $17,303
- Jan low / Jul high
- 25° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 10 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 30.5
Flat Lick is a community of 850 people in Knox County, Kentucky. The median home is worth $9,999, below the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). It ranks easier by car than 76% of Kentucky towns.
- #1 in The 25 Most Affordable Small Towns in Kentucky
- #1 in 25 Small Towns in Kentucky With the Cheapest Homes
- #4 in 50 Small Towns in America With the Cheapest Homes
- #4 in 50 Places in America With the Cheapest Homes
- #19 in The 50 Most Affordable Small Towns in America
- #19 in The 50 Most Affordable Places in America
How Flat Lick 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 Flat Lick is worth $9,999, below the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). Homes cost about 0.6 times the median household income of $17,303, which is more affordable than 100% of Kentucky towns. Median rent is $499 a month. 10.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Flat Lick | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $9,999 | $161,450 |
| Median rent | $499 | $837 |
| Median household income | $17,303 | $54,969 |
| Home value ÷ income | 0.6× | 3.0× |
| Homeownership | 10.0% | 63.5% |
| Median year built | 1985 | 1974 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Flat Lick
| People | Flat Lick | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.5 | 39.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 0.8% | 18.1% |
| Under 18 | 29.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 0.0% | 19.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 100.0% | 18.0% |
| Veterans | 0.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 0.0% | 7.5% |
| Average commute | — min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 100.0% | 88.6% |
Weather in Flat Lick
July highs average 87.0°F and January lows 24.6°F. About 53.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 10.4 inches of snow (typical Kentucky town: 9.4 in). Expect about 29 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 110 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Flat Lick since 1950, compared with 19 for the typical Kentucky town. The strongest, an F1, struck on May 31, 2004 about 7.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 31, 2004.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 34 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 8, 2025.
Severe weather in Knox County since 1996
Knox County has been included in 39 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 |
| May 23, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4875: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 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 |
Jobs and pay in Knox County
Knox County had 7,685 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $43,409 a year. Unemployment was 5.8% in 2023; in Flat Lick itself the ACS puts it at 33.3%.
Public schools in Flat Lick
3 public schools with 529 students, about 12.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lone Jack School Center | PK-8 | 217 | 16.7 |
| Flat Lick Elementary School | PK-5 | 171 | 10.7 |
| Dewitt Elementary School | PK-5 | 141 | 10.8 |
Towns near Flat Lick
- Pineville, KY6.7 mi · 1,678 people · home $98,700
- Barbourville, KY7.1 mi · 3,222 people · home $182,400
- Middlesborough, KY15.4 mi · 9,405 people · home $99,900
- Harrogate, TN19.0 mi · 4,400 people · home $203,900
- Corbin, KY19.9 mi · 7,856 people · home $166,000
- South Wallins, KY20.1 mi · 838 people · home $55,300
- North Corbin, KY20.6 mi · 1,727 people · home $157,700
- Manchester, KY21.7 mi · 1,512 people · home $140,500
Flat Lick questions
Is Flat Lick, Kentucky a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Flat Lick scores better for retirees than 42% of Kentucky towns and quieter than 50%. 0.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 30.5).
How much does a house cost in Flat Lick?
The median owner-occupied home in Flat Lick is valued at $9,999 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $17,303, so homes cost about 0.6 times income. Median rent is $499 a month.
What is the weather like in Flat Lick?
July highs average 87.0°F and January lows 24.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 53.8 inches of precipitation a year and 10.4 inches of snow.
Does Flat Lick get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Flat Lick since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on May 31, 2004. 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)