The Town FilesHarlan, Kentucky
City in Harlan County · population 1,776 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $89,200
- Household income
- $32,408
- Jan low / Jul high
- 26° / 85°
- Snow a year
- 16 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 40.8
Harlan is a city of 1,776 people in Harlan County, Kentucky. The median home is worth $89,200, below the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). It ranks better for retirees than 97% of Kentucky towns, hipper than 87% of Kentucky towns, better for first-time buyers than 76% of Kentucky towns.
How Harlan 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 Harlan is worth $89,200, below the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $32,408, which is more affordable than 64% of Kentucky towns. Median rent is $543 a month. 41.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Harlan | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $89,200 | $161,450 |
| Median rent | $543 | $837 |
| Median household income | $32,408 | $54,969 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.8× | 3.0× |
| Homeownership | 41.2% | 63.5% |
| Median year built | 1964 | 1974 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Harlan
| People | Harlan | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.8 | 39.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.5% | 18.1% |
| Under 18 | 22.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.2% | 19.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 33.1% | 18.0% |
| Veterans | 4.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.6% | — |
| Work from home | 4.7% | 7.5% |
| Average commute | 21.7 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.9% | 88.6% |
Weather in Harlan
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 16.1 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
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Harlan since 1950, compared with 19 for the typical Kentucky town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on July 27, 2014 about 7.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 27, 2014.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 37 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 Harlan itself the ACS puts it at 12%.
Public schools in Harlan
7 public schools with 1,300 students, about 16.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan High School | 5-12 | 449 | 16.6 |
| Harlan Elementary School | K-4 | 352 | 16.0 |
| James A. Cawood Elementary | PK-8 | 283 | 10.5 |
| Sunshine School | PK-PK | 119 | 119.0 |
| Appalachian Challenge Academy | 9-12 | 97 | — |
| Cumberland Tech - Harlan Campus | 15-15 | — | — |
| Kentucky TECH - Harlan Regional Tech Ctr | 15-15 | — | — |
Towns near Harlan
- Loyall, KY1.8 mi · 638 people · home $75,900
- South Wallins, KY4.9 mi · 838 people · home $55,300
- Cawood, KY5.9 mi · 630 people · home $69,800
- Evarts, KY7.2 mi · 859 people · home $71,400
- Rose Hill, VA12.6 mi · 729 people · home —
- Jonesville, VA15.5 mi · 872 people · home $115,400
- Pennington Gap, VA16.8 mi · 1,624 people · home $92,900
- Cumberland, KY20.5 mi · 1,947 people · home $66,500
Harlan questions
Is Harlan, Kentucky a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Harlan scores better for retirees than 97% of Kentucky towns and quieter than 44%. 17.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.8).
How much does a house cost in Harlan?
The median owner-occupied home in Harlan is valued at $89,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $32,408, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $543 a month.
What is the weather like in Harlan?
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 16.1 inches of snow.
Does Harlan get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Harlan since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on July 27, 2014. 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)