Counties with the highest cancer rates in Kentucky

Several factors contribute to cancer rates, from personal habits and genetics to air pollution or groundwater quality in a given area. People experiencing social, economic, or environmental disadvantages are disproportionately affected by high cancer rates in certain regions—including access or barriers to early screening and care.

Cancer rates also fluctuate by jobs: Higher rates of cancer can be found among meat industry and rubber manufacturing workers, and farmers.

Stacker compiled the counties with the highest cancer rates in Kentucky using data from the CDC. Keep reading to see where in your state cancer cases are the most common.

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#50. Pulaski County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 701.0
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 514.7

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#49. Lewis County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 701.4
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 516.6

Michele Korfhage // Shutterstock

#48. Grayson County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 703.1
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 535.6

Jill Lang // Shutterstock

#47. Wayne County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 703.3
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 492.2

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#46. Leslie County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 704.3
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 509.9

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#45. Logan County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 707.6
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 536.2

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#44. McCracken County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 709.5
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 507.1

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#43. Henry County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 710.0
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 534.4

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#42. Menifee County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 711.7
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 476.7

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#41. Knox County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 714.6
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 566.2

Patrick Jennings // Shutterstock

#40. Rockcastle County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 715.7
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 535.6

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#39. Clinton County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 717.4
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 507.7

Patrick Jennings // Shutterstock

#38. Harrison County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 718.4
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 539.1

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#37. Powell County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 719.7
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 597.4

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#36. Breathitt County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 720.2
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 545.3

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#35. Taylor County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 720.3
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 568.1

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#34. Fulton County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 722.2
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 513.0

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#33. Bath County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 723.0
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 574.8

Patrick Jennings // Shutterstock

#32. Bracken County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 724.6
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 555.3

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#31. Letcher County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 725.7
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 520.9

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#30. Carter County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 728.1
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 537.6

Tracy Burroughs Brown // Shutterstock

#29. Butler County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 729.1
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 557.1

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#28. Robertson County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 729.2
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 527.8

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#27. Owen County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 735.7
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 543.9

Marked Imagery // Shutterstock

#26. Greenup County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 735.9
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 515.0

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#25. Adair County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 736.3
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 557.4

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#24. Metcalfe County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 739.4
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 527.7

Rosemarie Mosteller // Shutterstock

#23. Boyd County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 742.0
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 532.2

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#22. Lawrence County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 744.7
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 565.7

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#21. Perry County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 744.7
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 578.1

Johnnie Laws // Shutterstock

#20. Johnson County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 745.5
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 549.9

Maxine Livingston // Shutterstock

#19. Estill County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 748.6
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 542.3

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#18. Green County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 749.1
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 530.0

Cody Thane Prater // Shutterstock

#17. Pike County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 750.9
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 547.3

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#16. Carlisle County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 751.3
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 520.6

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#15. Wolfe County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 754.1
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 538.5

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#14. Harlan County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 760.2
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 559.5

Patrick Jennings // Shutterstock

#13. Fleming County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 760.4
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 576.0

Gabriel Quiles // Shutterstock

#12. Russell County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 768.8
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 550.4

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#11. Marshall County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 769.3
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 514.0

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#10. McLean County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 769.4
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 546.6

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#9. Lincoln County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 772.5
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 584.7

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#8. Monroe County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 774.3
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 572.4

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#7. Lyon County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 778.1
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 476.3

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#6. Lee County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 784.4
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 574.7

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#5. Owsley County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 806.1
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 574.9

Patrick Jennings // Shutterstock

#4. Mercer County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 808.7
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 581.5

Brian Kenney // Shutterstock

#3. Cumberland County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 813.9
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 550.9

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#2. Floyd County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 820.5
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 616.8

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#1. Livingston County

– Cancer rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 863.5
– Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, 2016-2020: 568.9