METRO AREA
Bowling Green Metro
Bowling Green, KY · 4 counties · 197,180 residents (2025 est.) · 1,614 sq mi
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The short version
With 186,959 people, Bowling Green is a metro area. The population is up 39% since 2000. This skews young, with a median age of 35.5. About 28% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $234,323, having more than doubled since 2000. Renters pay $948 a month at the median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 53%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
186,959
+39%since 2000
from 134,976 in 2000
197,180 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
1,614 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024187K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.3%(11,729)
5 to 96.4%(12,034)
10 to 146.6%(12,278)
15 to 197.3%(13,635)
20 to 249.6%(17,893)
25 to 3413.4%(25,074)
35 to 4412.3%(23,015)
45 to 5411.8%(21,980)
55 to 6411.7%(21,798)
65 to 748.9%(16,667)
75 to 844.3%(8,065)
85 and over1.5%(2,791)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$63,933
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,927 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
43.0%
+21.0 ptssince 2009
from 22.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade18.5%
Information12.4%
Wholesale trade6.5%
Finance & insurance5.8%
Professional, scientific, technical5.2%
Other services4.4%
Public administration3.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
Construction1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food0.8%
Education & health services0.6%
Manufacturing0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$234,323
+53%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $83,881 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.6
+29%since 2009
from 2.8 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
62
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic89.5%(120,761)
Black6.1%(8,237)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(2,813)
Asian1%(1,301)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic78.3%(146,372)
Black6.9%(12,971)
Hispanic / Latino6.1%(11,497)
Asian3.9%(7,205)
Other4.8%(8,914)
46
+66%since 2009
from 28 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
41
−3%since 2020
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
Hispanic origin
Mexican3.2%(6,027)
Central American1.6%(2,659)
Guatemalan0.8%(1,389)
Salvadoran0.7%(1,030)
Cuban0.4%(771)
South American0.4%(708)
Puerto Rican0.3%(466)
Colombian0.2%(370)
Honduran0.1%(175)
Venezuelan0.1%(163)
Spaniard0.1%(153)
Ecuadorian0.1%(74)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Burmese2.6%(3,684)
Asian Indian0.6%(1,068)
Vietnamese0.4%(505)
Pakistani0.3%(451)
Japanese0.2%(259)
Korean0.2%(244)
Chinese0.2%(233)
Nepalese0.1%(185)
Filipino0.1%(177)
Laotian0%(45)
Cambodian0%(44)
Bhutanese0%(42)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Ancestry
English13.2%(24,760)
American12.2%(22,882)
Irish9.1%(17,095)
German8.9%(16,624)
Italian2.4%(4,408)
Scottish2.1%(3,980)
Subsaharan African1.5%(2,684)
Polish1.3%(2,363)
Scotch-Irish1%(1,928)
French0.9%(1,707)
Norwegian0.7%(1,292)
Welsh0.5%(853)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.5%(852)
Dutch0.4%(749)
Arab0.4%(613)
British0.3%(518)
Swedish0.3%(484)
Swiss0.3%(447)
French Canadian0.3%(400)
West Indian0.2%(371)
Armenian0.3%(367)
Danish0.2%(318)
Ukrainian0.2%(276)
Hungarian0.2%(273)
Slovak0.2%(268)
Iraqi0.2%(262)
Greek0.1%(253)
Canadian0.1%(240)
Haitian0.2%(238)
Croatian0.1%(186)
Romanian0.1%(155)
Lebanese0.1%(120)
Jamaican0.1%(100)
Turkish0.1%(92)
Finnish0.1%(76)
Czech0%(73)
Palestinian0.1%(71)
Austrian0%(71)
Portuguese0%(68)
Egyptian0%(64)
Lithuanian0%(64)
Syrian0%(53)
Somali0%(46)
Belgian0%(28)
Serbian0%(25)
Kenyan0%(24)
Ethiopian0%(20)
Australian0%(17)
Iranian0%(13)
Bulgarian0%(11)
Jordanian0%(10)
Latvian0%(10)
Nigerian0%(10)
Slovene0%(2)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
87.5%
+12.8 ptssince 2000
from 74.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 71.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
94.3%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 90.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.1%(26,914)
Married51%(38,009)
Widowed2.4%(1,813)
Divorced10.5%(7,830)
Women 15+
Never married31.6%(24,163)
Married47.3%(36,130)
Widowed8.8%(6,737)
Divorced12.2%(9,322)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
11.2%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 12.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
61.9%
−4.6 ptssince 2020
from 66.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
41.7%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 40.3% 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)28.9%(2,694)
Gulf War (1990s)29.8%(2,772)
Vietnam era30.8%(2,863)
Korean War3.2%(301)
World War II0.8%(79)
Share of the 9,307 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
In this metro
Largest cities
What's inside
4 component counties
Drill deeper
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Auburn
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Burlington
Pop 186,177
Joplin
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BOWLING GREEN VS
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BOWLING GREEN VS
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Home value$241,500+3%
Population186,177−6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOWLING GREEN VS
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Home value$167,644−28%
Population208,796+6%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Bowling Green, KY?
Bowling Green, KY has about 186,959 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Bowling Green, KY?
The typical household in Bowling Green, KY earns about $63,933 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Bowling Green, KY expensive?
In Bowling Green, KY, the median home is worth about $234,323, and the typical rent is about $948 a month.
How educated are people in Bowling Green, KY?
About 27.8% of adults age 25 and over in Bowling Green, KY hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Bowling Green, KY?
About 16.7% of people in Bowling Green, KY live below the federal poverty line.
Has Bowling Green, KY grown since 1990?
Yes, Bowling Green, KY has grown since 1990. The population has added about 74,056 residents, a change of about 66 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024