Moving to Middlesborough
Bell County loses about 7.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.
Where people come from and where they go, top counties
Within Kentucky, other states or abroad
Income per tax return
People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Bell County; flows under 20 returns are not published.
- Who moves here
- 3.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.0% from another state.
- Who arrives and who leaves
- Households moving into Bell County report $35,300 a year in income on average; those leaving, $34,000.
- Income you would need
- $23,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
- Rent or buy
- Median rent is $598 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,276 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $99,900.
- Getting to work
- 18 minutes each way on average; 4.4% work from home.
- If it is close but not quite
- Hazard, KY matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
All 5 moving measures
| Measure | Middlesborough | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moved here in the past year1 | 3.3% | 43% below | |
| Moved from another state1County figure | 1.0% | 51% below | |
| Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure | -7.4 | below (median -0.6) | |
| Income of households moving in7County figure | $35,272 | 50% below | |
| Income of households moving out7County figure | $34,039 | 52% below |
What it costs to live here
61% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 81% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track.
Could you afford it?
Uses the median rent in Middlesborough, $598 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.
Like Middlesborough, but easier on the budget
Places that match Middlesborough on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.
Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Middlesborough.
All 15 cost and housing measures
| Measure | Middlesborough | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent1 | $598 | 56% below | |
| Rent to income1 | 23.1% | 13% above | |
| Property tax rate1 | 0.8% | 13% below | |
| Home price to income1 | 3.2x | 16% below | |
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure | $909 | 44% below | |
| HUD area median income3County figure | $49,700 | 54% below | |
| Property tax paid (median)1 | $786 | 76% below | |
| Median home value1 | $99,900 | 69% below | |
| Home prices, 1-year change4County figure | 8.5% | 166% above | |
| Home prices, 5-year change4County figure | 52.4% | 2% above | |
| Homeownership1 | 54.6% | 18% below | |
| Renters paying 30%+1 | 61.1% | 21% above | |
| Owner costs with a mortgage1 | $1,276 | 32% below | |
| Vacant homes1 | 9.5% | 35% above | |
| Median year built1 | 1973 | 0% below |
Work and pay
Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).
More on work and pay, against the typical place
All 10 work and pay measures
| Measure | Middlesborough | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income1 | $31,106 | 61% below | |
| Income per person1 | $22,625 | 44% below | |
| Unemployment1 | 8.5% | 74% above | |
| Average annual pay5County figure | $43,896 | 33% below | |
| Pay growth, 1 year5County figure | 3.4% | 8% below | |
| Jobs5County figure | 8,318 | 94% below | |
| Poverty rate1 | 31.0% | 187% above | |
| Mean commute1 | 18 min | 30% below | |
| Works from home1County figure | 4.4% | 65% below | |
| Commutes by transit1 | 0.0% | below (median 0.8%) |
Who lives here
31% of residents live below the poverty line, more than in 96% of the 2,082 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 81 Kentucky places we track.
More about who lives here, against the typical place
All 9 people measures
| Measure | Middlesborough | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population1 | 9,123 | 4436th largest | |
| Population change since 20206 | -6.5% | below (median 1.1%) | |
| Median age1 | 42.1 | 8% above | |
| Bachelor's or higher1 | 18.9% | 41% below | |
| High school or higher1 | 79.8% | 14% below | |
| Household size1 | 2.2 | 12% below | |
| Born abroad1County figure | 0.4% | 95% below | |
| No health insurance1 | 5.4% | 16% below | |
| Homes with broadband1 | 79.6% | 14% below |
Life in Middlesborough
The nearest National Park Service site is Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, about 2 miles away.
Founded or incorporated in 1890. 11 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia
Out the door, against the typical place
Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
National Park Service sites nearby
- Cumberland Gap National Historical Park 2 miles
- Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area 55 miles
- Andrew Johnson National Historic Site 59 miles
Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)
Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.
All 17 schools and local life measures
| Measure | Middlesborough | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public schools12County figure | 18 | 100% above | |
| Public school students12County figure | 4,135 | 16% below | |
| Students per teacher12County figure | 14.4 | 6% below | |
| Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure | 21.7 | 4% above | |
| Shops per 10k8County figure | 45.1 | 49% above | |
| Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure | 2.6 | 37% below | |
| Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure | 23.4 | 16% above | |
| Parks per 10k9 | 4.4 | 57% below | |
| Playgrounds per 10k9 | 19.7 | 110% above | |
| Grocery stores per 10k9 | 4.4 | 107% above | |
| Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9 | 8.8 | 21% below | |
| Libraries per 10k9 | 2.2 | 152% above | |
| Named paths and bike trails9 | 1.5 | 25% below | |
| Transit stops per sq mi9 | 0.0 | below (median 0.2) | |
| Nearest National Park Service site10 | 2.1 | 93% below | |
| National Park Service sites within 60 miles10 | 4 | 100% above | |
| National Register listings11County figure | 11 | 15% below |
Safety, weather and risk
Heat wave risk is 42.8, 53% below the median place.
No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Middlesborough. Larger places are fetched first.
All 11 weather and risk measures
| Measure | Middlesborough | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| July average high13County figure | 84°F | 3% below | |
| January average low13County figure | 25°F | 0% below | |
| Average temperature13County figure | 55°F | 0% above | |
| Annual precipitation13County figure | 53.5 in | 22% above | |
| Natural hazard risk14County figure | 68.0 | 26% below | |
| Hurricane risk14County figure | 35.2 | 50% below | |
| Tornado risk14County figure | 41.6 | 49% below | |
| Wildfire risk14County figure | 73.3 | 20% above | |
| Heat wave risk14County figure | 42.8 | 53% below | |
| Median air quality index15County figure | 42 | 2% below | |
| Good air days15County figure | 67.0% | 2% below |
How it is changing
The population has fallen 6.5% since 2020, a steeper drop than in 98% of the 1,634 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 80 Kentucky places we track.
Five-year survey estimates, one point per release. Between the 2019 and 2024 releases, which share no survey years, the median rent went from 25.3% to 23.1% of the median income.
Population estimate
Median home value
Median gross rent
Median household income
Citytistics measures
Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas
Middlesborough in 2030: where the trends point
If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 23% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 23% now.
Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Middlesborough does better than 52% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 3%.
| Measure | Latest | 2030 projection | Likely range | Avg. per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $598/mo (2024) | $760/mo | $620 to $930/mo | +4.1% |
| Median household income | $31,106 (2024) | $39,500 | $33,500 to $46,500 | +4.0% |
| Median home value | $99,900 (2024) | $136,000 | $99,000 to $188,000 | +5.3% |
| Population | 8,776 (2025) | 8,550 | 8,200 to 8,910 | −0.5% |
The median home would be worth 3.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.2 now.
A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.
Places like Middlesborough
The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.
| Place | Rent | Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroeville, AL | $577 | $32,513 | Compare |
| Highland Park, MI | $688 | $29,309 | Compare |
| Crowley, LA | $594 | $28,642 | Compare |
| Marion, SC | $651 | $30,662 | Compare |
Nearby
- Williamsburg, KY26 mi
- La Follette, TN28 mi
- Corbin, KY30 mi
- Jefferson City, TN37 mi
- Morristown, TN37 mi
- Halls, TN39 mi
Compare Middlesborough with
Places built like Middlesborough
Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Middlesborough performs against places like it.
| Place | Rent to income | Income growth | Pop. change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesborough, KY | 23.1% | 4.1%/yr | -6.5% | |
| Lawrenceburg, TN | 22.0% | 4.4%/yr | 5.2% | Compare |
| Brookhaven, MS | 24.2% | 2.6%/yr | -0.4% | Compare |
| Leitchfield, KY | 16.8% | 7.3%/yr | 3.5% | Compare |
| Louisville, MS | 20.0% | 3.4%/yr | -2.5% | Compare |
| Monroeville, AL | 21.3% | 0.6%/yr | -3.7% | Compare |
| Smithville, TN | 26.8% | 0.2%/yr | 12.1% | Compare |
Common questions
Is Middlesborough a good place to live?
It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 16 out of 100, better than 16% of the places we rate and 81st of 85 in Kentucky. Home values rose 1.8% a year between the 2019 and 2024 surveys while incomes rose 4.1%, a rarer gap than in 90% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 8 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.
Is Middlesborough expensive to live in?
The median rent takes 23.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $99,900.
What salary do you need to live in Middlesborough?
To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $23,920 a year. Work it out from your current city.
What places are similar to Middlesborough?
On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Monroeville, AL, Highland Park, MI, Crowley, LA and Marion, SC.
Sources and methods
The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
- Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
- Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
- House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
- Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
- SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
- County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
- OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
- National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
- National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
- Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
- 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
- National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
- Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files
Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).
What stands out compares Middlesborough with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Middlesborough itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/middlesborough-kentucky
Citytistics. “Middlesborough, Kentucky.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/middlesborough-kentucky/
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.