Town guide

South Wallins, Kentucky

South Wallins is a community in Harlan County, Kentucky, home to about 765 people across 6.3 square miles. Its ZIP code is 40873.

Homes sold for a median of $102 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.

Population765121 per sq mi
Median home value$55,300Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$102Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking0%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in South Wallins

1 ZIP code

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

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Around South Wallins

Distances

Nearest major airportMcGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)76 miles away
Closer regional airportTri-Cities Regional TN/VA Airport (TRI)61 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Lexington-Fayette, KY102 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL415 miles away

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

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

Who represents South Wallins

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

South Wallins had 838 residents in the 2020 census, down 16% since 2000.

It’s the 279th largest of 553 towns in Kentucky by population.

Harlan County grew from 9,838 residents in 1900 to 26,831 in 2020.

South Wallins population by census2000: 996, 2010: 859, 2020: 838996200085920108382020

Harlan County, 1900–2020

Harlan County population, 1900 to 20201900: 9,838, 1910: 10,566, 1920: 31,546, 1930: 64,557, 1940: 75,275, 1950: 71,751, 1960: 51,107, 1970: 37,370, 1980: 41,889, 1990: 36,574, 2000: 33,202, 2010: 29,278, 2020: 26,83110K’00’1032K’20’3075K’40’5051K’60’7042K’80’9033K’00’1027K’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 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 26°F. About 52.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near South WallinsJan: high 45°F, low 26°F, 4.1 in; Feb: high 49°F, low 29°F, 4.3 in; Mar: high 58°F, low 34°F, 5 in; Apr: high 68°F, low 42°F, 4.9 in; May: high 76°F, low 52°F, 4.7 in; Jun: high 82°F, low 61°F, 4.7 in; Jul: high 85°F, low 65°F, 4.8 in; Aug: high 85°F, low 64°F, 4.5 in; Sep: high 80°F, low 57°F, 3.5 in; Oct: high 70°F, low 45°F, 3.2 in; Nov: high 58°F, low 34°F, 3.6 in; Dec: high 49°F, low 29°F, 5 in45°26°Jan4.149°29°Feb4.358°34°Mar5.068°42°Apr4.976°52°May4.782°61°Jun4.785°65°Jul4.885°64°Aug4.580°57°Sep3.570°45°Oct3.258°34°Nov3.649°29°Dec5.0Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Baxter, KY weather station (6 miles away).

Jobs in Harlan County

4,652 jobs at 370 businesses in Harlan County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Harlan CountyHealth care and social assistance: 1,159 jobs; Mining, oil and gas: 1,005 jobs; Retail trade: 940 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 512 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 188 jobs; Wholesale trade: 137 jobs; Other services: 133 jobs; Manufacturing: 117 jobsHealth care and social assistance 25% Mining, oil and gas 22% Retail trade 20% Hotels and restaurants 11% Transportation and warehousing 4% Wholesale trade 3% Other services 3% Manufacturing 3%

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

Health care

2 doctors and other health care providers list an office in South Wallins.

Nearest hospitals

  • Harlan Arh HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Harlan5.9 miles
  • Pineville Community Health Center, INCGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 1 of 5 · Pineville16.4 miles
  • Lee County Community HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Pennington Gap20.9 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors1
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants1

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 South Wallins

Grocery stores

  • Food City5.4 mi
  • Don's Super Saver5.5 mi

Libraries

  • Harlan County Public Library5.9 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 South Wallins

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

Public schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Wallins Elementary SchoolWallinsPre-K–8352Public0.6 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.

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Where South Wallins is

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Towns near South Wallins

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Shares ZIP codes with Wallins Creek.

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.