Kentucky · NCES F-33 finance data
School Funding Equity in Kentucky 171 districts ranked by how equitably school funding is distributed, scored from NCES F-33 school finance data covering districts in all 50 states.
Compiled by PlainSchools , Education-data publisher · August 26, 2026
50 State avg score
49 National avg score
171 Districts ranked The equity picture in one line
Wolfe County ranks first in Kentucky for funding equity at 96/100, in a state whose districts average 50 against a national average of 49.
96/100 top score (Wolfe County)
$17,855 per-pupil spending in the top district
38 districts scoring 70 or higher
29 districts below 30 # District Enrollment $/Pupil Free Lunch Local Rev % Score 1 Wolfe County 1,150 $17,855 81.3% 10.0% 96 2 Owsley County 785 $18,702 85.4% 13.6% 95 3 Letcher County 2,596 $20,652 62.1% 13.9% 94 4 Menifee County 955 $17,406 76.5% 14.0% 92 5 Knott County 2,092 $17,594 75.0% 17.3% 90 6 Fulton Independent 324 $23,948 70.1% 20.3% 90 7 Knox County 3,943 $14,730 83.6% 11.7% 89 8 Cloverport Independent 283 $16,297 60.8% 12.6% 87 9 Breathitt County 1,701 $15,655 70.5% 9.5% 86 10 Harlan County 3,459 $14,873 81.9% 12.7% 84 11 Berea Independent 1,086 $17,169 57.6% 19.8% 84 12 Fairview Independent 582 $16,732 55.6% 19.0% 84 13 Pineville Independent 577 $15,672 71.2% 11.3% 84 14 Mccreary County 2,715 $14,475 79.5% 11.2% 82 15 Elliott County 962 $14,699 68.2% 13.8% 82 16 Dayton Independent 859 $16,758 77.7% 23.3% 81 17 Middlesboro Independent 1,120 $17,021 79.3% 18.6% 80 18 Floyd County 5,563 $15,024 75.0% 16.2% 78 19 Boyd County 3,102 $16,486 65.8% 28.0% 78 20 Morgan County 1,877 $14,129 72.7% 12.6% 78 21 Caverna Independent 647 $20,796 76.8% 31.6% 78 22 Southgate Independent 207 $18,981 82.1% 36.5% 77 23 Bell County 2,454 $15,416 76.7% 16.8% 76 24 Covington Independent 3,665 $16,918 82.8% 29.6% 75 25 Jackson County 2,053 $13,986 72.7% 13.7% 75 26 Lawrence County 2,442 $14,121 66.6% 14.0% 74 27 Owensboro Independent 5,040 $16,080 68.5% 25.0% 73 28 Clay County 2,916 $14,039 74.1% 15.0% 73 29 Clinton County 1,574 $14,027 79.2% 19.5% 73 30 Anchorage Independent 405 $25,486 6.9% 65.2% 73 31 Lincoln County 3,416 $14,375 65.4% 18.5% 72 32 Russellville Independent 1,168 $14,527 73.6% 21.7% 72 33 Perry County 3,593 $15,812 73.2% 14.3% 71 34 Monroe County 1,788 $16,268 62.4% 21.3% 71 35 Ashland Independent 3,261 $14,691 65.4% 21.9% 70 36 Danville Independent 1,836 $16,364 63.2% 33.5% 70 37 Fulton County 640 $14,780 68.6% 22.5% 70 38 Jenkins Independent 475 $16,160 77.3% 15.6% 70 39 Lewis County 2,036 $13,940 72.3% 14.3% 69 40 Wayne County 3,207 $13,466 84.6% 15.4% 68 41 Martin County 1,758 $14,730 71.7% 14.3% 68 42 Hazard Independent 1,030 $14,329 55.7% 13.9% 68 43 Fayette County 41,422 $18,318 51.9% 49.8% 67 44 Ludlow Independent 828 $15,569 59.8% 23.9% 67 45 Bellevue Independent 639 $16,232 60.0% 43.8% 67 46 Augusta Independent 317 $14,858 56.8% 17.9% 67 47 Casey County 2,202 $14,250 61.6% 15.4% 66 48 Whitley County 4,336 $13,081 79.2% 11.5% 65 49 Rockcastle County 2,761 $14,041 67.2% 14.2% 65 50 Hancock County 1,524 $16,011 55.3% 37.9% 65 51 Magoffin County 2,017 $13,597 73.0% 11.3% 64 52 Dawson Springs Independent 534 $14,511 65.7% 17.3% 64 53 Jefferson County 95,230 $18,189 60.4% 46.8% 63 54 Paducah Independent 3,119 $15,048 76.1% 29.0% 63 55 Butler County 2,195 $13,805 65.1% 16.3% 63 56 Greenup County 2,634 $14,133 62.2% 22.7% 62 57 Livingston County 1,074 $16,842 53.9% 34.9% 62 58 Cumberland County 1,004 $14,520 68.7% 20.4% 62 59 Hart County 2,347 $14,437 53.8% 19.1% 61 60 Murray Independent 1,849 $15,699 49.6% 22.1% 61 61 Green County 1,637 $14,214 59.0% 18.0% 61 62 Carroll County 2,042 $15,315 61.1% 29.8% 60 63 Bath County 1,972 $12,731 78.1% 17.1% 60 64 Leslie County 1,658 $14,046 59.4% 13.4% 59 65 Pike County 7,787 $14,180 72.5% 21.5% 58 66 Paintsville Independent 766 $15,375 47.1% 29.8% 58 67 Paris Independent 754 $15,541 68.4% 22.0% 58 68 Hickman County 723 $14,483 55.5% 27.7% 58 69 Franklin County 6,126 $15,057 56.5% 39.4% 57 70 Mclean County 1,405 $14,209 56.6% 24.8% 57 71 Ballard County 1,052 $15,101 56.6% 30.3% 57 72 Garrard County 2,606 $13,804 63.2% 24.3% 55 73 Metcalfe County 1,459 $14,141 69.7% 21.5% 55 74 Bardstown Independent 2,716 $15,648 51.8% 28.3% 54 75 Newport Independent 1,382 $22,298 86.1% 38.4% 54 76 Powell County 2,130 $14,085 62.9% 19.0% 53 77 Mayfield Independent 1,947 $14,098 66.6% 17.3% 53 78 Bowling Green Independent 4,424 $14,125 69.2% 28.8% 51 79 Russell County 3,005 $13,881 65.8% 21.0% 51 80 Adair County 2,622 $13,545 54.4% 18.2% 51 81 Erlanger-Elsmere Independent 2,392 $14,540 51.9% 32.5% 51 82 Trigg County 1,964 $14,010 55.2% 24.6% 50 83 Crittenden County 1,363 $13,015 54.4% 21.1% 50 84 Campbellsville Independent 1,286 $13,912 68.6% 24.5% 50 85 Williamsburg Independent 835 $13,129 - 12.9% 50 86 Johnson County 3,344 $13,833 65.2% 12.7% 49 87 Owen County 1,732 $14,329 57.4% 25.5% 49 88 Raceland-Worthington Independent 1,132 $13,225 41.7% 18.0% 49 89 Lee County 907 $13,311 79.0% 19.9% 49 90 Burgin Independent 495 $14,614 44.8% 36.8% 47 91 Russell Independent 2,132 $14,327 49.9% 29.1% 46 92 Carlisle County 759 $13,515 56.0% 22.1% 46 93 Jackson Independent 349 $14,447 53.0% 22.0% 46 94 Estill County 2,202 $13,527 68.7% 14.5% 45 95 Todd County 1,887 $14,128 59.0% 19.7% 45 96 Pikeville Independent 1,166 $15,243 31.8% 37.8% 45 97 Marshall County 4,495 $14,559 58.4% 34.6% 44 98 Union County 2,055 $15,091 61.8% 30.2% 44 99 Bracken County 1,145 $14,405 49.8% 25.1% 44 100 Jessamine County 8,392 $13,940 54.3% 33.8% 43 101 Ohio County 3,910 $11,933 68.1% 16.9% 42 102 Frankfort Independent 972 $14,347 56.1% 27.6% 42 103 Hardin County 14,675 $13,734 49.6% 29.3% 41 104 Barren County 5,224 $13,580 54.2% 23.8% 41 105 Grant County 3,457 $13,283 62.7% 22.5% 41 106 Bourbon County 2,674 $13,989 61.2% 27.4% 41 107 Fleming County 2,186 $13,522 60.2% 17.5% 41 108 Clark County 5,359 $13,438 63.4% 31.5% 40 109 Nelson County 4,511 $14,451 45.7% 43.7% 40 110 Nicholas County 1,119 $12,359 64.0% 16.0% 40 111 Williamstown Independent 878 $13,540 61.1% 19.6% 40 112 East Bernstadt Independent 523 $12,076 63.1% 9.2% 40 113 Calloway County 3,134 $13,190 60.9% 32.1% 39 114 Mercer County 2,723 $13,648 64.1% 31.5% 39 115 Daviess County 11,164 $13,767 53.8% 35.1% 38 116 Elizabethtown Independent 2,465 $13,110 44.1% 27.1% 38 117 Henry County 2,014 $14,044 51.5% 27.7% 38 118 Marion County 3,256 $13,327 59.6% 29.4% 37 119 Corbin Independent 3,027 $12,165 64.5% 14.6% 37 120 Pendleton County 2,246 $13,093 56.6% 24.0% 37 121 Simpson County 3,088 $13,543 64.8% 32.0% 36 122 Mason County 2,608 $13,474 61.3% 28.2% 36 123 Somerset Independent 1,615 $13,533 62.2% 32.5% 36 124 Harlan Independent 829 $12,385 58.7% 12.3% 36 125 Grayson County 4,039 $12,707 62.5% 19.6% 35 126 Robertson County 479 $12,850 60.1% 14.5% 35 127 Muhlenberg County 4,486 $13,648 62.9% 31.4% 34 128 Logan County 3,430 $12,613 53.5% 22.5% 34 129 Webster County 2,168 $12,992 62.7% 19.5% 34 130 Washington County 1,776 $13,858 57.0% 25.8% 34 131 Shelby County 6,935 $14,040 52.2% 39.0% 33 132 Carter County 4,138 $12,650 61.2% 16.0% 33 133 Larue County 2,393 $12,812 56.1% 19.3% 33 134 Gallatin County 1,532 $13,200 62.5% 28.2% 33 135 Harrison County 2,896 $12,974 55.2% 22.4% 32 136 Taylor County 2,731 $13,737 57.3% 24.9% 32 137 Campbell County 5,195 $14,133 41.6% 46.7% 31 138 Henderson County 6,955 $13,397 53.1% 27.6% 30 139 Rowan County 3,429 $12,419 70.0% 28.4% 30 140 Breckinridge County 2,748 $13,209 23.7% 23.2% 30 141 Glasgow Independent 2,490 $13,265 64.2% 24.0% 30 142 Edmonson County 1,890 $12,605 45.7% 20.0% 30 143 Laurel County 8,801 $12,611 66.8% 21.5% 28 144 Pulaski County 8,115 $12,724 66.7% 26.0% 28 145 Woodford County 4,010 $13,439 51.3% 45.8% 28 146 Graves County 3,977 $12,902 62.4% 23.8% 28 147 Science Hill Independent 476 $12,338 59.5% 18.2% 28 148 Boone County 20,200 $13,925 39.5% 51.3% 27 149 Boyle County 2,937 $13,539 45.4% 28.9% 27 150 Christian County 8,204 $12,723 64.4% 22.9% 26 151 Hopkins County 6,358 $12,749 59.1% 25.7% 26 152 Walton-Verona Independent 1,919 $13,143 32.3% 43.0% 26 153 Caldwell County 1,891 $12,566 52.9% 21.0% 26 154 Barbourville Independent 692 $11,723 69.6% 15.4% 26 155 Montgomery County 4,472 $12,347 58.4% 21.5% 25 156 Allen County 3,149 $12,352 58.3% 19.4% 23 157 Madison County 11,198 $12,260 51.3% 32.2% 21 158 Anderson County 3,752 $12,208 37.7% 31.2% 21 159 Oldham County 12,367 $13,019 23.5% 42.6% 20 160 Eminence Independent 988 $12,236 45.4% 21.0% 19 161 Mccracken County 6,968 $13,196 50.7% 35.3% 16 162 Meade County 4,966 $11,339 50.6% 22.6% 15 163 Scott County 9,797 $12,100 43.6% 37.2% 13 164 Warren County 17,799 $12,051 62.4% 32.6% 12 165 Fort Thomas Independent 3,127 $12,975 6.9% 44.9% 12 166 Beechwood Independent 1,501 $12,233 37.6% 45.6% 12 167 Lyon County 998 $12,723 47.1% 43.2% 11 168 Bullitt County 12,833 $11,997 49.5% 39.5% 10 169 Spencer County 3,369 $12,139 40.8% 32.3% 10 170 Trimble County 1,236 $12,324 52.9% 36.4% 10 171 Kenton County 14,066 $12,155 41.5% 42.2% 9
How the Equity Score Works
The equity score (0-100) evaluates four dimensions of school funding fairness. According to
the National Center for Education Statistics F-33 Finance Survey (FY 2022-23),
which covers more than 17,000 districts nationwide, local property wealth drives most of the
spending differences the score captures; our methodology
documents each weight:
Per-Pupil Spending (0-25)
Higher spending relative to peers
Need-Adjusted Spending (0-25)
Spending weighted by poverty level, rewards districts that spend more where need is greatest
Funding Diversity (0-25)
Less reliance on local property taxes, more state/federal support
Resource Access (0-25)
Lower student-teacher ratios = more individualized attention
Read our methodology
- how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.