Carter County, Kentucky GIS Map
This GIS map of Carter County, Kentucky (KY) shows the official Census county boundary (FIPS 21043), with federal layers you can switch on for FEMA flood zones, USGS elevation contours and hillshade, NLCD land cover, and school district lines.
Carter County has a population of about 26,341 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-year estimate) and a land area of 409.5 square miles. Use the inspect tool to read coordinates, elevation and the layers under any point.
- State
- Kentucky (KY)
- Population
- 26,341
- Land area
- 409.5 sq mi
- Density
- 64 / sq mi
- Coordinates
- 38.3141, -83.0390
- FIPS code
- 21043
Carter County is not the only one — there are 4 other states with a county of the same name. Compare every Carter County.
Carter County Demographics
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Population
26,341
Households
10,794
Median household income
$51,235
Median age
41.4 years
Median home value
$132,800
Median gross rent
$740/mo
Owner-occupied homes
80%
Bachelor's degree or higher
15.9%
Below poverty level
19.2%
Land area
409.5 sq mi
Population density
64 / sq mi
Carter County Population Growth
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census and Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2024: April 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2024 estimate).
2010 Census
27,720
April 2020 (estimates base)
26,630
July 2024 estimate
26,098
Change 2010-2020
-3.9%
Change 2020-2024
-2.0%
Natural Hazard Risk in Carter County
FEMA National Risk Index ratings for Carter County, compared with all U.S. counties.
Overall risk
Score 52.7 of 100
Expected annual loss
Buildings, population & agriculture
Social vulnerability
Susceptibility to hazard impacts
Community resilience
Ability to prepare & recover
Risk by Hazard
- LandslideRelatively Moderate
- Heat WaveRelatively Moderate
- Inland FloodingRelatively Low
- Ice StormRelatively Low
- WildfireVery Low
- Winter WeatherRelatively Low
- EarthquakeVery Low
- LightningRelatively Low
- TornadoRelatively Low
- Strong WindRelatively Low
- HurricaneVery Low
- HailVery Low
- Cold WaveVery Low
- DroughtVery Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release). County-level ratings are relative to other U.S. counties and are not a property-specific assessment.
Environmental Conditions in Carter County, Kentucky
Radon potential, monitored air quality and current drought status for Carter County, Kentucky, from the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Radon potential
Zone 2
moderate radon potential
EPA predicts an average indoor level between 2 and 4 pCi/L, so the EPA recommends testing, because elevated levels are still found in some homes here.
Air quality (2024)
Median AQI 37Good
No days reached unhealthy levels.
90th percentile 51, peak 62 across 360 monitored days.
Drought status
No drought
Drought Severity and Coverage Index 0 of 500.
Map of 13 October 2026.
Sources: EPA Map of Radon Zones (September 2025), EPA Air Quality Index (2024) and the U.S. Drought Monitor. A radon zone is a regional planning tool, not a prediction for any individual home — the EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone. Air quality is shown only for counties that host an EPA monitor. Drought figures describe one weekly map, not a long-term climate average. Compare counties in Kentucky.
GIS Data for Carter County, KY
The Carter County GIS map on this page loads live federal layers in your browser, so you can check flood zones, terrain, land cover and district boundaries anywhere in Carter County without a separate GIS login. All of the Carter GIS data below is drawn from public U.S. government sources.
Layers you can turn on
FEMA flood zones
National Flood Hazard Layer — flood insurance rate map zones and floodways.
Elevation contours and hillshade
USGS 3DEP terrain, so you can read slope and relief across the county.
Land cover
NLCD land cover classes — forest, developed, wetland and water.
School districts
Census TIGER unified and elementary school district boundaries.
ZIP code and county boundaries
Census TIGER ZCTA and county boundary lines.
Map tools
Measure distance and area
Draw a line or polygon to get length in miles or area in acres.
Sketch and annotate
Add points, lines and shapes on top of the map.
Inspect any point
Click the map to read coordinates, elevation and the layers under your cursor.
Download the map
Save the current view as a PNG image.
Where the data comes from
County boundaries come from the U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line program, flood zones from FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer, terrain from the USGS 3D Elevation Program, land cover from the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium, and demographics from the American Community Survey.
Property records and tax maps in Carter County
Most people who look up Carter County GIS data are after parcel-level records: who owns a property, what it last sold for, and what it is assessed at. Those records are kept locally, not federally, so they are not part of this map. Carter County property and tax map data lives with the county's own records office, and what that office is called varies by state — Texas counties run an appraisal district (usually searched as a “CAD”), Kentucky uses a Property Valuation Administrator (PVA), and most other states use a county assessor, auditor or tax office. Start with that office for a deed, a tax map number or a parcel boundary; use the map above for flood zones, elevation and land cover on the same land.
Carter County FAQ
What state is Carter County in?
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Carter County is a county in Kentucky (KY).
What is the population of Carter County?
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Carter County, Kentucky has a population of about 26,341, according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
How big is Carter County?
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Carter County covers about 409.5 square miles of land, with a population density of roughly 64 people per square mile.
What is the FIPS code for Carter County?
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The FIPS county code for Carter County, Kentucky is 21043. It is used to identify the county in federal datasets such as Census TIGER and FEMA flood maps.
What is the median household income in Carter County?
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The median household income in Carter County, Kentucky is about $51,235 per year.
What is the radon zone for Carter County?
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Carter County is in EPA radon Zone 2, meaning the EPA predicts an average indoor radon level between 2 and 4 pCi/L. In this zone the EPA recommends testing, because elevated levels are still found in some homes here. The EPA is clear that a radon zone is a regional planning tool and not a prediction for any individual home.
What is the air quality in Carter County?
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Across 2024, the EPA monitor covering Carter County recorded a median Air Quality Index of 37 (Good) and a 90th percentile of 51, with a peak of 62. No days reached the unhealthy for sensitive groups category. Only counties that host an EPA monitor have these figures.
Is Carter County in a drought?
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As of the 13 October 2026 U.S. Drought Monitor map, no part of Carter County is in drought.
What is Carter GIS?
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Carter GIS usually refers to the county's own parcel and zoning mapping system, which Carter County publishes itself. This page is a separate, free viewer: it draws federal GIS layers — FEMA flood zones, USGS elevation, NLCD land cover and Census boundaries — over the Carter County boundary, with no login required.
What GIS data is available for Carter County?
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The Carter County map loads federal GIS layers directly in your browser: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer flood zones, USGS 3DEP elevation contours and hillshade, NLCD land cover, Census TIGER school district boundaries, and TIGER ZIP code and county boundary lines.
How do I check flood zones in Carter County?
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Open the Carter County map, turn on the FEMA flood zones layer, and zoom in. The National Flood Hazard Layer shows flood insurance rate map zones and floodways. Flood zones only draw once you are zoomed in far enough.
How do I find the coordinates or elevation of a spot in Carter County?
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Use the inspect tool on the Carter County map and click any point. It reads back the coordinates, elevation and the layers under your cursor. You can also measure distance and area by drawing a line or polygon.
Data sources for Carter County, Kentucky
Every figure on this page comes from a published government dataset. Each source is listed with its release date so you can check the number or cite it directly.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates
U.S. Census Bureau · 2020-2024 · population, income, housing, education and poverty figures
- Gazetteer Files
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · place coordinates, land area and the county/place/ZIP crosswalk
- TIGER/Line Shapefiles
U.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · county, ZIP Code Tabulation Area and school district boundaries
- National Flood Hazard Layer
Federal Emergency Management Agency · current effective Flood Insurance Rate Maps · flood zones, floodways and base flood elevations
- National Risk Index
Federal Emergency Management Agency · v1.20, December 2025 · county natural hazard risk, expected annual loss, social vulnerability and resilience
- 3D Elevation Program (3DEP)
U.S. Geological Survey · current · elevation contours, shaded relief and point elevations
- National Land Cover Database
Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium · NLCD 2021 · land cover classes such as developed, forest, crop and water
- Map of Radon Zones
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · September 2025 · the county radon zone (1, 2 or 3) and its predicted indoor radon potential
- Air Quality Index annual summary by county
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 2024 · median, 90th percentile and peak AQI, and days at unhealthy levels, for counties with an EPA monitor
- U.S. Drought Monitor
National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA and NOAA · weekly, current map · the share of county area in each drought category and the Drought Severity and Coverage Index
- ArcGIS basemaps
Esri · current · streets, satellite, topographic and dark gray basemap tiles
Citing this page
GIS Map, “Carter County, Kentucky GIS Map”, https://gismap.land/county/kentucky/carter. Figures from the datasets listed above.
Local notes for Carter County, KY
Questions and local knowledge from people who know the area. Every note is read before it appears here.