Jackson County lies just beyond the outer Bluegrass region on the rim of the Cumberland Plateau. A portion of Jackson County lies within the Daniel Boone National Forest, which contains some of the most beautiful woodlands and ruggedly scenic areas in the state.

Jackson County is part of the three-county Kentucky Highlands Federal Empowerment Zone. This designation means the federal government will make $40 million available to the entire zone for economic and community development over a ten-year period. The program provides major tax benefits, financial incentives, and relief from some federal, state, and local regulations.

The Jackson County Labor Market includes Jackson County and the adjoining Counties of Clay, Estill, Laurel, Lee, Madison, Owsley, and Rockcastle.

year 1970 1980 1990 1996 2000 2010 2020	amount 10,005 11,996 11,955 12,832 13,495 15,069* 16,214*
* projected

	Labor Force	Unemployment
Labor Market KY Clay Estill Jackson Laurel Lee Madison Owsley Rockcastle	1,993,270 8,026 5,756 6,923 24,824 2,765 36,504 1,894 6,124	109,304 597 353 299 1,714 218 1,627 118 253

		2001
Labor Market Clay Estill Jackson Laurel Lee Madison Owsley Rockcastle		5.5% 6.8% 6.8% 7.0% 5.5% 7.1% 4.3% 5.7% 8.0%

Mid-South Electrics, Inc. Specialty Plastics Products Phillips Diversified Mfg. Image Entry M.A. Walker Carpenter's Construction Co. Gabbard's Signs JCRI Flat Rock Furniture JECC PRTC

Employment Averages 600 195 163 35 26 15 10 80 36 130 40

The cost of living in Jackson County, Kentucky is lower than the national average. According to the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association Cost of Living Index, costs for housing, grocery items, utilities, health care and miscellaneous goods and services in Jackson County are estimated to be about 90% of the national average.

Median house price is well below the national average. Single dwellings, duplexes and apartments are readily available throughout and near Jackson County.