Harlan is a very small city located in the state of Kentucky. With a population of 1,885 people and two associated neighborhoods, Harlan is the 204th largest community in Kentucky.

The education level of Harlan citizens is a little higher than the average for US cities and towns: 24.02% of adults in Harlan have at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Harlan in 2022 was $21,108, which is lower middle income relative to Kentucky, and low income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $84,432 for a family of four. However, Harlan contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Harlan also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 41.46% of its population below the federal poverty line.

The people who call Harlan home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Harlan residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Harlan include English, German, Irish, Italian, and Scottish.

The most common language spoken in Harlan is English. Other important languages spoken here include Vietnamese and Russian.