Breathitt County, Kentucky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Breathitt County
U.S. county
Breathitt County Courthouse in Jackson
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1839
Named for	John Breathitt
Seat	Jackson
Largest city	Jackson
Area
• Total	495 sq mi (1,280 km2)
• Land	492 sq mi (1,270 km2)
• Water	2.9 sq mi (8 km2)  0.6%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,718
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	5th

Breathitt County ( BREH-thit) is a county in the eastern Appalachian portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 13,878. Its county seat is Jackson. The county was formed in 1839 and was named for John Breathitt, who was Governor of Kentucky from 1832 to 1834. Breathitt County was a prohibition or dry county, until a public vote in July 2016 that allowed alcohol sales.

History

Breathitt County was formed on February 8, 1839 from portions of Clay County, Estill County and Perry County. It was named after Governor John Breathitt.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 495 square miles (1,280 km²), of which 492 square miles (1,270 km²) is land and 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²) (0.6%) is water.

The North and Middle Forks of the Kentucky River pass through the county as the main water sources.

Adjacent counties

• Wolfe County (northwest)
• Magoffin County (northeast)
• Knott County (east)
• Perry County (southeast)
• Owsley County (southwest)
• Lee County (west)

Demographics

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 16,100 people, 6,170 households, and 4,541 families in the county. The population density was 32 per square mile (12/km²). There were 6,812 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5.4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.69% White, 0.39% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.43% from two or more races. 0.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,170 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.00% were married couples living together, 14.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.00.

The county population contained 25.50% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $19,155, and the median income for a family was $23,721. Males had a median income of $26,208 versus $20,613 for females. The per capita income for the county was $11,044. About 28.10% of families and 33.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.90% of those under age 18 and 26.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Economy

Coal companies

• Arch Coal
• US Coal

Education

Jackson Independent Schools

Jackson Independent Schools is a school district that educates students inside and outside the city limits of Jackson, Kentucky.

• Jackson City School – a single K-12 facility.

Breathitt County Schools

Breathitt County Schools is another school district with an array of schools within the city limits of Jackson, Kentucky and throughout the county.

• Sebastian Elementary School – Jackson, Kentucky (Opened 1970)
• Highland-Turner Elementary School – Canoe, Kentucky (Opened 1992)
• Rousseau Elementary School (Closed 2013) – Rousseau, Kentucky
• Marie Roberts-Caney Elementary School – Lost Creek, Kentucky (Expanded School Opened 1996)
• Breathitt County High School – Jackson, Kentucky (New School Opened 1982)

Private schools

• Mount Carmel School – Vancleve, Kentucky
• Oakdale Christian Academy – Jackson, Kentucky
• Riverside Christian School – Lost Creek, Kentucky

Higher education

• Lees College Campus of Hazard Community and Technical College (part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System) – Jackson, Kentucky
• Kentucky Mountain Bible College – Vancleve, Kentucky

Breathitt Area Technology Center

The Breathitt Area Technology Center serves both the Jackson Independent and the Breathitt County school districts. It is located in Jackson on the campus of Breathitt County High School. The school is operated by the state of Kentucky. While most of the funding comes from the state, much of the equipment is purchased with federal Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act funds, which are aimed at advancing technical education.

The school is focused on technical education, offering these technical programs:

• Automotive Technology
• Construction Technology
• Electrical Technology
• Health Sciences
• Office Technology

UK Robinson Station

The community of Quicksand is the location for the University of Kentucky Robinson Station. This agriculture research facility is a pivotal asset in Breathitt County, furthering the scientific studies in the areas of agriculture and forestry.

Notable people

• Jeffrey Reddick, writer for the Final Destination franchise, was born in Jackson.
• Sturgill Simpson, country music artist/singer was born in Jackson, the county seat of Breathitt County and spent much of his childhood there.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Breathitt para niños