Jobs, pay and daily life in Middlesborough, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Middlesborough is a city in Kentucky with 9,123 residents. The median household earns $31,106 a year and the median rent is $598 a month, which is 23.1% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Middlesborough compares. Among the 80 largest places in Kentucky, Middlesborough is #51 by population, #1 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #80 for household income (#1 = highest), #75 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Bell County, is #101 of 120 counties for average pay ($42,450).
Middlesborough has 9,123 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Kentucky. It covers 7 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,236 people per square mile. The median age is 42.1, 8% older than the state median (42.1 against 39.1).
The median gross rent is $598 a month (rent plus utilities), 38% below the state median ($598 against $967). Over a year that is 23.1% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $99,900, which is 3.2 times the median household income ($31,106); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 54.6% of households own their home, 20% below the state average (54.6% against 68.3%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Bell County was 5.9%. 43.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Bell County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 66.3% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 6.0% walk, 4.2% work from home. 12.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, about the same as the state average (12.5% against 12.5%).
18.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 32% below the state share (18.9% against 27.6%). 0.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 89% below the state share (0.5% against 4.7%). The poverty rate is 31.0%, 93% above the state rate (31.0% against 16.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 76°F (24.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 35°F (1.4°C). About 1,262 mm (50 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (138 mm) and Oct the driest (81 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Corbin (30 miles, rent 23% higher); Jefferson City (37 miles, rent 42% higher); Morristown (37 miles, rent 47% higher); Halls (39 miles, rent 97% higher). Rent differences are against Middlesborough; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Kentucky (288) →State guide: KentuckyCountry guideBell CountyKentucky rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 288 federal postings open in Kentucky (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 38.2% |
| Manufacturing | 14.8% |
| Retail trade | 13.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.9% |
| Other services | 6.3% |
| Public administration | 3.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 2.0% |
| Construction | 1.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 0.8% |
| Information | 0.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Middlesborough lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County | 23,509 | $997 million | $42,427 | 8,335 | 612 | $42,450 | -1.0% | 5.9% | 7,565 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,543 | 36.4% | $32,317 | 1.85 |
| Manufacturing | 1,109 | 26.1% | $55,260 | 1.62 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 266 | 6.3% | $29,992 | 1.06 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 225 | 5.3% | $68,242 | 7.14 |
| Finance and insurance | 207 | 4.9% | $57,441 | 0.61 |
| Construction | 184 | 4.3% | $62,045 | 0.42 |
| Administrative and waste services | 182 | 4.3% | $65,689 | 0.37 |
| Professional and technical services | 141 | 3.3% | $61,122 | 0.24 |
| Utilities | 121 | 2.9% | $76,071 | 3.82 |
| Wholesale trade | 100 | 2.4% | $44,162 | 0.30 |
| Real estate and rental | 85 | 2.0% | $38,538 | 0.66 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 55 | 1.3% | $31,990 | 0.16 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 12 | 0.3% | $33,171 | 0.18 |
| Information | 12 | 0.3% | $48,608 | 0.08 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 66.3% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 6.0% |
| Work from home | 4.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 12.5% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $31,106 |
| Income per person | $22,625 |
| Median gross rent per month | $598 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.1% |
| Median home value | $99,900 |
| Homeowners | 54.6% |
| Poverty rate | 31.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.50%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 42.1 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 79.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 18.9% |
| Born abroad | 0.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 43.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.4 | 35 | 99 |
| Feb | 3.3 | 38 | 118 |
| Mar | 8.1 | 47 | 107 |
| Apr | 13.6 | 56 | 118 |
| May | 18.4 | 65 | 102 |
| Jun | 22.8 | 73 | 107 |
| Jul | 24.6 | 76 | 138 |
| Aug | 24.4 | 76 | 89 |
| Sep | 21.1 | 70 | 92 |
| Oct | 14.5 | 58 | 81 |
| Nov | 7.9 | 46 | 94 |
| Dec | 3.5 | 38 | 117 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corbin | KY | 30 mi | 8,246 | $51,065 | $733 |
| Jefferson City | TN | 37 mi | 8,579 | $60,638 | $851 |
| Morristown | TN | 37 mi | 31,527 | $47,917 | $882 |
| Halls | TN | 39 mi | 10,272 | $90,933 | $1,178 |
| London | KY | 40 mi | 7,561 | $47,591 | $815 |
| Clinton | TN | 42 mi | 10,239 | $68,882 | $962 |
| Powell | TN | 43 mi | 13,739 | $82,434 | $1,276 |
| Knoxville | TN | 46 mi | 195,185 | $54,039 | $1,191 |
| Seymour | TN | 51 mi | 16,216 | $82,855 | $1,515 |
| Sevierville | TN | 51 mi | 18,397 | $52,421 | $1,081 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
9,123 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$598 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.1% of the median household income.
$31,106 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
5.9% (BLS county, Bell County (latest month 2026M09)).
Kentucky. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.