Town guide

Jenkins, Kentucky

Jenkins is a city in Letcher County, Kentucky, home to about 1,406 people across 8.8 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 41517 and 41537.

Homes sold for a median of $78 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.

Population1,406159 per sq mi
Median home value$80,200Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$78Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking0%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Jenkins

2 ZIP codes
Burdine, KY41517Not enough recent sales for market figures yet.

All in Jenkins

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Jenkins. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

The Jenkins guide is on the way

We’re writing up Jenkins’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

Are you a local agent who knows Jenkins well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked

Around Jenkins

Distances

Nearest major airportMcGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)121 miles away
Closer regional airportTri-Cities Regional TN/VA Airport (TRI)51 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Lexington-Fayette, KY115 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL418 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Jenkins; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Jenkins

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Jenkins had 1,902 residents in the 2020 census, down 21% since 2000.

It’s the 210th largest of 553 towns in Kentucky by population.

Letcher County grew from 9,172 residents in 1900 to 21,548 in 2020.

Jenkins population by census2000: 2,401, 2010: 2,203, 2020: 1,9022,40120002,20320101,9022020

Letcher County, 1900–2020

Letcher County population, 1900 to 20201900: 9,172, 1910: 10,623, 1920: 24,467, 1930: 35,702, 1940: 40,592, 1950: 39,522, 1960: 30,102, 1970: 23,165, 1980: 30,687, 1990: 27,000, 2000: 25,277, 2010: 24,519, 2020: 21,5489K’00’1024K’20’3041K’40’5030K’60’7031K’80’9025K’00’1022K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 22°F. About 49.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 38 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near JenkinsJan: high 43°F, low 22°F, 3.7 in; Feb: high 47°F, low 24°F, 3.9 in; Mar: high 56°F, low 29°F, 4.4 in; Apr: high 68°F, low 38°F, 4.6 in; May: high 74°F, low 48°F, 4.9 in; Jun: high 80°F, low 56°F, 5.1 in; Jul: high 82°F, low 61°F, 5.3 in; Aug: high 81°F, low 60°F, 4.1 in; Sep: high 76°F, low 53°F, 3.3 in; Oct: high 66°F, low 40°F, 2.8 in; Nov: high 55°F, low 30°F, 2.8 in; Dec: high 46°F, low 25°F, 4.3 in43°22°Jan3.747°24°Feb3.956°29°Mar4.468°38°Apr4.674°48°May4.980°56°Jun5.182°61°Jul5.381°60°Aug4.176°53°Sep3.366°40°Oct2.855°30°Nov2.846°25°Dec4.3Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Clintwood 1w, VA weather station (9 miles away).

Jobs in Letcher County

3,171 jobs at 277 businesses in Letcher County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Letcher CountyHealth care and social assistance: 959 jobs; Retail trade: 640 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 383 jobs; Mining, oil and gas: 280 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 127 jobs; Wholesale trade: 115 jobs; Manufacturing: 107 jobs; Professional services: 100 jobsHealth care and social assistance 30% Retail trade 20% Hotels and restaurants 12% Mining, oil and gas 9% Transportation and warehousing 4% Wholesale trade 4% Manufacturing 3% Professional services 3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

7 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Jenkins’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

  • Whitesburg Arh HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Whitesburg10.4 miles
  • Dickenson Community HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Clintwood11.3 miles
  • Mcdowell Arh HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Mc Dowell17.3 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors2
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants4
Physical and occupational therapists1
Pharmacies6

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Jenkins

Grocery stores

  • Saba Market5.4 mi
  • Foodland IGA5.8 mi

Pharmacies

  • Wildcat Pharmacy5.6 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Jenkins Public Library1.6 mi

Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Schools in Jenkins

Public schools here are run by Jenkins Independent. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Jenkins Independent SchoolJenkinsPre-K–12453Public2.0 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

From OfferBacked · Free

Get matched with a local agent.

Buying or selling around Jenkins? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.

Get matched

Where Jenkins is

Loading map…

Towns near Jenkins

All Kentucky towns →

Shares ZIP codes with Payne Gap.

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.