Whitley City is a community in McCreary County, Kentucky, home to about 963 people across 2.3 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 42653.
Homes sold for a median of $158 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Whitley City. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Whitley City’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)68 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Lexington-Fayette, KY91 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL393 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Whitley City; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Whitley City had 968 residents in the 2020 census, down 13% since 2000.
It’s the 252nd largest of 553 towns in Kentucky by population.
McCreary County grew from 11,676 residents in 1920 to 16,888 in 2020.
McCreary County, 1920–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 24°F. About 56.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Stearns 2s, KY weather station (3 miles away).
1,522 jobs at 157 businesses in McCreary County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
54 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Whitley City.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 4 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 2 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 23 |
| Mental health providers | 22 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 2 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 6 |
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.
Grocery stores
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1 mile 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.
Public schools here are run by McCreary County. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitley City Elementary SchoolWhitley City | Pre-K–5 | 547 | Public | 2.8 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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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.