Kentucky migration, mapped
In 2022–23, 86,522 people moved into Kentucky and 80,661 moved out, a net of +5,861. Drag the year slider to watch the trend, hover any state to see the corridor, or click through to explore it.
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† IRS methodology change in this year’s files (see methodology)
What the flows say
Population · 2025
4,606,864
▲ 0.5% year over year · growing
Peak population
4,606,864
highest in the series shown (since 1910)
Why the population is changing
- Growth driver: growth is led by international migration (+15,709); domestic migration added +7,269 in 2025.
- Peak population: the 2025 estimate of 4,606,864 is the highest on record, in data going back to 1910.
Net income flow · 2022–23
−$112M
▼ $3.0B arrived · $3.1B left
Avg household income · movers
$60k in · $66k out
leavers out-earn arrivals by 10%
Kentucky wealth migration
- Money moved: households moving into Kentucky in 2022–23 reported $3.0B in income (AGI). Households leaving took $3.1B with them, a net loss of $112M.
- Income gap: the average household moving in reported $60k of income, vs $66k for leavers. Leavers out-earn arrivals by 10%.
Drill into a metro
IRS data goes deeper than states. Pick a metro to see its own corridors.
About the data
Migration figures come from the official IRS state-to-state files (exemptions ≈ people). Population figures are Census Bureau estimates, and the peak checks every census back to 1910. Income figures are the total income (AGI) movers reported in the same IRS files. Dollars are not adjusted for inflation, and household averages divide by the number of returns. Years marked † had a change in how the IRS built the files. Full details, caveats, and a suggested citation on the methodology page.
Download this data (CSV), free to use with attribution.
Every year, thousands of people move to Kentucky
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