The story of this market
The typical home in Harlan County, Kentucky sells for about $125,000, or $98 per square foot.
Prices are down 11.6% from a year ago, which gives buyers more room to negotiate. Homes take about 115 days to sell, which is slow. HUD's fair market rent for a two-bedroom is $909 a month.
HUD sets the fair market rent for a 2-bedroom at $909 a month. FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall hazard risk here as Relatively Moderate.
Monthly price momentum
Home values since 2015
+4.3%
KY · past 12 months
Freddie Mac House Price Index, single-family homes, monthly through 2026-08. Each line starts at 100 in January 2015, so a reading of 180 means prices are up 80% since then.
Rent benchmark
Fair market rent by size
$1,190
3-bed / month
HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal 2027, for this county. A typical rent for a modest unit, used to set housing-voucher payments.
Natural hazard exposure
The area's risk shape
62
Relatively Moderate
FEMA National Risk Index. Each spoke is a hazard ranked nationally, where 100 is the most exposed. Expected annual loss: $17,795,343.
Mortgage activity
Home lending in this county
56.6%
2018 approval rate
| Year | Applications | Loans made | Approval | Investor share | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 497 | 200 | 56.6% | 0% | $95,000 |
CFPB Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records: every mortgage application reported by lenders for homes in this county. Approval rate is approved ÷ decided (withdrawn and incomplete files excluded). Investor share and home value are the median census tract.
Harlan County, Kentucky
Harlan County's housing market is experiencing downward pressure on home values and significant economic challenges linked to the decline of the coal industry. High poverty rates and population decline continue to impact local demand and market stability. The market remains characterized by low inventory and low price points compared to national averages.
No ARED distress-ledger coverage for this county yet — the foreclosure ingest rotates the national county directory, and filings appear here once the county's posted notices are read. Key-figure check: no independent anchor retained yet — first-researched cycles establish the anchor baseline this pass.
Select a city to expand its ZIP intel reports beneath · 4 cities · 5 ZIP reports
Median prices moved up 0.0% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 90 days on market with 0.0 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
0% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 97.99% of asking — demand is running ahead of supply.
no recorded foreclosure-ledger notices (0.0 per 10,000 residents) · unemployment 11.0% · poverty 27.2% — elevated distress and economic pressure.
ACS 2024 5-year estimates. Aggregate published statistics for this county — never individual records, and never an attribute of any individual property or resident.
Deterministic aggregate of 5 researched ZIP reports — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Harlan County, Kentucky — researched county-level history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical -0.2%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
No researched properties in this county yet — the property base layer populates as property research runs, and each property feeds its ZIP's roll-up.
researched Sep 17
researched Sep 17
researched Sep 21
researched Sep 17
researched Sep 21
| 40806 | Baxter | $135,000 | $98 | +4.2% | 62 | 96.5% | 12% | 4.6 | 14 | $689 | researched Sep 17 |
| 40823 | Cumberland | $89,900 | $68 | +5.2% | 142 | 94.5% | 15% | 8.4 | 10 | $633 | researched Sep 17 |
| 40828 | Evarts | $75,000 | $65 | +2.5% | 120 | 94% | 15% | 7.5 | 15 | $918 | researched Sep 21 |
| 40831 | Harlan | $186,600 | $90 | 0% | 90 | 98% | — | — | 9 | $620 | researched Sep 17 |
| 40854 | Loyall | $145,000 | $98 | +2.4% | 72 | 96.5% | 18% | 6.8 | 45 | $688 | researched Sep 21 |
Figures are each ZIP report's own latest research — the county roll-up aggregates them sales_count-weighted (population fallback); ZIPs cycle quarterly.
The county contains mountainous terrain including Black Mountain, the highest natural point in Kentucky, which presents unique topography-related risks.
The economy has historically been rooted in coal extraction, with current efforts focused on economic diversification following the decline of the coal industry.
Property taxes are assessed at the county level; specific rates and exemptions are determined by local fiscal court and state statutes.
The area features significant natural landmarks including Black Mountain and outdoor recreational opportunities typical of the Appalachian region.
The rental market is characterized by low median gross rents, reflecting the broader economic conditions of the region.
The economy is transitioning from a historical reliance on coal mining, which has led to high unemployment and poverty rates.
Transportation is primarily served by regional highway corridors through the mountainous terrain.
- Kingdom Come State Park4.814.1 mi
- Leeman Field RV Park and Campground4.412.8 mi
- Kentucky Coal Mining Museum4.615.1 mi
- Cumberland Bowl Park4.614.4 mi
- Portal Thirty One4.616.9 mi
- Natural Tunnel State Park4.828.9 mi
- Cumberland Gap National Historical Park4.828.7 mi
- Portal 31 Coal Mine & Tour4.616.9 mi
- Wilderness Road State Park4.825.1 mi
- Chained Rock4.728.7 mi
- Kingdom Come State Park4.814.1 mi
- Cumberland Bowl Park4.614.4 mi
- Village Center Mall3.87.9 mi
- Woodland Plaza4.17.7 mi
Theme parks, venues, golf, airports, museums, water and shopping across the area from Google Maps, ranked by popularity within the radius shown.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this county — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
The highest natural point in Kentucky, offering significant elevation and scenic views.
Data sourced from US Census Bureau QuickFacts and FDI Connect.
Kentucky is a judicial foreclosure state, requiring a court action to enforce a mortgage or lien. The process involves a court-ordered sale, typically conducted by the master commissioner.
KRS Chapter 426
Property is assessed at its fair cash value (price at a fair voluntary sale). The tax is calculated by applying local and state tax rates to the assessed value. A homestead exemption is available for owners aged 65 or older or those who are totally disabled, which exempts a portion of the assessed value from taxation (the specific exemption amount is adjusted biennially based on the cost of living index).
Kentucky Constitution Section 170, 172; KRS 132.190
Governance registry — every jurisdiction re-researches on a rolling 90-day cycle. Property reports compose these inherited burdens into a per-parcel ledger with conditional determinations. Informational only — not legal advice.