United States › Kentucky › Rockcastle County COUNTY
Rockcastle County Kentucky · 16,148 residents (2025 est.) · 317 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
Rockcastle County is home to 16,163 people in Kentucky. 14% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $123,600. 25.6% of people here live below the federal poverty line. The foreign-born share is 0%. At a median age of 42.8, this is an older place than the country as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
14% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 50%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 16,582 in 2000
16,148 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 52 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 36.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
15K 15K 16K 17K 17K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Rockcastle County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $48,862
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $23,475 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $12,337 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 23.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.503 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 2.2%
Education & health services 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.5%
Transportation & warehousing 0.3%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$123,600
+50%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$676
+32%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $282 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 79.5% in 2000
25.7% rent
from 16.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.52 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 27.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 48.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.7 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 98.3%(16,301)
Hispanic / Latino 0.6%(102)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 95.3%(15,409)
Hispanic / Latino 1.3%(204)
from 5 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 42 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
+ 7 more ancestry groups with data from 8.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 57.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 21.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 83.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 10.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 10.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 49.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 60.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 15.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 27.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 22.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 14.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 63.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 81.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 86.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 99.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 25.6%(1,679)
Women 15+
Never married 20.2%(1,374)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 14.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 45.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 10.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 23.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 38.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 55.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 54.4% 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) 17.2%(101)
Gulf War (1990s) 22.1%(130)
Share of the 588 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 Rockcastle County Head to head
Compare Rockcastle County to nearby counties ROCKCASTLE COUNTY VS
Jackson County
Income $40,000 −18%
Home value $111,500 −10%
Population 13,325 −17%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCKCASTLE COUNTY VS
Lincoln County
Income $52,440 +7%
Home value $147,300 +19%
Population 25,353 +57%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCKCASTLE COUNTY VS
Laurel County
Income $57,771 +18%
Home value $159,500 +29%
Population 63,746 +295%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ROCKCASTLE COUNTY VS
Garrard County
Income $63,087 +29%
Home value $204,900 +66%
Population 18,207 +13%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Rockcastle County, Kentucky? Rockcastle County, Kentucky has about 16,163 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Rockcastle County, Kentucky? The typical household in Rockcastle County, Kentucky earns about $48,862 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Rockcastle County, Kentucky expensive? In Rockcastle County, Kentucky, the median home is worth about $123,600, and the typical rent is about $676 a month.
How educated are people in Rockcastle County, Kentucky? About 13.7% of adults age 25 and over in Rockcastle County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Rockcastle County, Kentucky? About 25.6% of people in Rockcastle County, Kentucky live below the federal poverty line.
Has Rockcastle County, Kentucky grown since 1990? Yes, Rockcastle County, Kentucky has grown since 1990. The population has added about 1,360 residents, a change of about 9 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 