Most socially connected counties in Kentucky

In today’s digital age, social media platforms enable people to bridge geographic distances and connect with their friends, family, and community, no matter where they are. According to a 2022 Gallup and Meta study, at least 1 in 3 people across seven countries, including the U.S., said they used social media to interact with others at least once a day in the past week.

While social media has its drawbacks—such as pulling attention away from other tasks or fostering a problematic comparison culture—it remains a vital tool for helping people stay connected.

A majority of students in grades 3 to 12 said social media helped them develop relationships, learn social skills, and make a positive impact in their community, according to a 2024 report from The Social Institute.

Spokeo compiled a ranking of the most socially connected counties in Kentucky using 2021 data from Facebook, based on a national analysis. County pairs were ranked by their social connectedness index, which measures the relative probability that two individuals across two locations are friends with each other on Facebook. The social connectedness index is a scaled value up to a billion. Larger indexes indicate a greater share of Facebook friends between county pairs.

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#20. Boyle County and Lincoln County

– Boyle County population: 30,988
– Lincoln County population: 24,776
– Social connectedness index: 8,376,921

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#19. Owen County and Gallatin County

– Owen County population: 11,313
– Gallatin County population: 8,792
– Social connectedness index: 8,847,266

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#18. Johnson County and Magoffin County

– Johnson County population: 22,116
– Magoffin County population: 11,228
– Social connectedness index: 9,527,940

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#17. Metcalfe County and Barren County

– Metcalfe County population: 10,482
– Barren County population: 45,008
– Social connectedness index: 10,951,885

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#16. Morgan County and Elliott County

– Morgan County population: 14,283
– Elliott County population: 7,245
– Social connectedness index: 12,065,280

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#15. Montgomery County and Bath County

– Montgomery County population: 28,527
– Bath County population: 12,975
– Social connectedness index: 12,089,184

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#14. Fleming County and Mason County

– Fleming County population: 15,442
– Mason County population: 16,841
– Social connectedness index: 12,408,938

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#13. Lawrence County and Martin County

– Lawrence County population: 16,000
– Martin County population: 10,928
– Social connectedness index: 12,799,085

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#12. Knott County and Perry County

– Knott County population: 13,659
– Perry County population: 27,133
– Social connectedness index: 13,312,873

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#11. Russell County and Adair County

– Russell County population: 18,279
– Adair County population: 19,264
– Social connectedness index: 14,089,990

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#10. Washington County and Marion County

– Washington County population: 12,267
– Marion County population: 19,834
– Social connectedness index: 14,195,231

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#9. Trimble County and Carroll County

– Trimble County population: 8,607
– Carroll County population: 10,987
– Social connectedness index: 14,264,242

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#8. Wolfe County and Breathitt County

– Wolfe County population: 6,282
– Breathitt County population: 12,953
– Social connectedness index: 14,481,425

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#7. Crittenden County and Livingston County

– Crittenden County population: 8,974
– Livingston County population: 8,892
– Social connectedness index: 16,570,402

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#6. Bourbon County and Nicholas County

– Bourbon County population: 20,134
– Nicholas County population: 7,686
– Social connectedness index: 16,644,017

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#5. Caldwell County and Lyon County

– Caldwell County population: 12,551
– Lyon County population: 9,187
– Social connectedness index: 17,946,624

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#4. Green County and Taylor County

– Green County population: 11,468
– Taylor County population: 26,443
– Social connectedness index: 18,057,710

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#3. Robertson County and Bracken County

– Robertson County population: 2,313
– Bracken County population: 8,426
– Social connectedness index: 22,802,338

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#2. Carlisle County and Hickman County

– Carlisle County population: 4,704
– Hickman County population: 4,447
– Social connectedness index: 28,127,024

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#1. Lee County and Owsley County

– Lee County population: 7,293
– Owsley County population: 4,001
– Social connectedness index: 45,319,634

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kayla Zhu, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 46 states.

This story originally appeared on Spokeo and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.