Average Salary in Kentucky (KY)

Kentucky's $60,407 median household income is below the national average, but the cost-of-living index of 90 means effective purchasing power is closer to the middle of the US pack. The state's economy is anchored by three unusual pieces of infrastructure: UPS WorldPort in Louisville — the largest automated package-handling facility in the world, sorting over two million packages per day — Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky in Georgetown (the company's largest vehicle-production plant globally), and the bourbon-distilling industry (Kentucky produces roughly 95% of the world's bourbon). Louisville and Lexington are the primary economic centres; Louisville's healthcare cluster, led by Humana, is among the largest in the South. The state income tax was a flat 4.5% and is scheduled to continue stepping down toward 4% under enacted law tied to revenue triggers. The $7.25/hour minimum wage remains at the federal floor. Eastern Kentucky (the coal-producing Appalachian counties) has a very different economy; employment has declined sharply over the past two decades as coal demand has contracted. Property taxes are low. Full income, tax, and employer breakdown follows.