United States › Kentucky › Mason County COUNTY
Mason County Kentucky · 16,936 residents (2025 est.) · 240 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
With 16,956 people, Mason County is a county in Kentucky. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 20% of adults. The typical home is worth $161,500, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 1%. Median rent is $727 a month. The median age is 42.5, about 4 years above the US median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 16,800 in 2000
16,936 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 72 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 38.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
17K 17K 17K 17K 18K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Mason County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $52,178
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,195 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,589 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 20.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 16.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.484 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 3.9%
Education & health services 2.1%
Transportation & warehousing 1.9%
Public administration 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$161,500
+25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $71,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$727
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $369 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 67.4% in 2000
33.9% rent
from 15.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.37 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 21.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 41.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.5 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 90.5%(15,201)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 86.9%(14,739)
Hispanic / Latino 2.4%(402)
from 23 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 25 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 10 more ancestry groups with data from 14.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 73.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 5.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 78.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 9.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 60.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 61.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 13.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 29.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 16.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 13.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 66.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 83.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 86.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 94.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 2.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 34.1%(2,301)
Women 15+
Never married 23.9%(1,696)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 13.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 51.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 11.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 22.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 27.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 62.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 45.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 32.4%(294)
Gulf War (1990s) 18.8%(171)
Share of the 908 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Mason County Head to head
Compare Mason County to nearby counties MASON COUNTY VS
Robertson County
Income $51,830 −1%
Home value $165,100 +2%
Population 2,325 −86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MASON COUNTY VS
Bracken County
Income $66,319 +27%
Home value $125,000 −23%
Population 8,511 −50%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MASON COUNTY VS
Fleming County
Income $49,307 −6%
Home value $134,700 −17%
Population 15,787 −7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MASON COUNTY VS
Nicholas County
Income $59,531 +14%
Home value $123,000 −24%
Population 7,949 −53%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Mason County, Kentucky? Mason County, Kentucky has about 16,956 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Mason County, Kentucky? The typical household in Mason County, Kentucky earns about $52,178 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Mason County, Kentucky expensive? In Mason County, Kentucky, the median home is worth about $161,500, and the typical rent is about $727 a month.
How educated are people in Mason County, Kentucky? About 20.0% of adults age 25 and over in Mason County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Mason County, Kentucky? About 18.8% of people in Mason County, Kentucky live below the federal poverty line.
Has Mason County, Kentucky grown since 1990? Yes, Mason County, Kentucky has grown since 1990. The population has added about 290 residents, a change of about 2 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 