McCracken County is facing a significant housing shortage, and a wave of incoming job announcements is making the problem more urgent. County Judge Executive Craig Clymer has said plainly that the county needs thousands of new housing units to accommodate the workers who will follow the jobs.
A study by the Kentucky Housing Corporation identified a shortage of more than 3,800 units in McCracken County. U.S. Census Bureau projections estimate the county's population will grow by nearly 6,000 residents by 2040 — a figure that, given average household sizes, would require more than 2,400 additional homes.
Three major economic projects are driving the concern. Global Laser Enrichment's $1.76 billion Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility is expected to create 240 direct jobs. Discussions about an AI data center campus near the former Gaseous Diffusion Plant site have advanced. And renewed activity at the Shawnee Fossil Plant, the former TVA coal-fired station on the Ohio River, has added to projections for an incoming workforce.
Projects in the pipeline
Several residential developments are moving forward. Oakview Estates Phase 3 is expected to add approximately 30 units. Mustang Village and Lake Forest are also under development. In Paducah, the city issued a request for proposals in early 2025 seeking developers for the Katterjohn property at 1501 Broadway, a site long eyed for new housing on the Southside.
City Planning Director Carol Gault said her near-term goal is to have 10 new builds completed by summer 2026. She acknowledged that the pace of new construction will need to accelerate substantially to keep up with projected workforce growth.
RV parks and temporary workforce housing operators have expressed interest in the market, a sign that some employers expect workers to begin arriving before permanent housing supply catches up.