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METRO AREA

Lexington Metro

Lexington-Fayette, KY · 6 counties · 535,174 residents (2025 est.) · 1,470 sq mi
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The short version

Lexington is home to 522,560 people. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. Growth has run 28% since 2000, or 114,234 more people. About 42% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $281,872, having more than doubled since 2000. Owners hold 60% of the housing stock.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $71,865, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 36.8
US median: 38.9
More educated
42% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 45%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Lexington

Among the 21 metro and micro areas based in Kentucky

  • 2nd in household income$71,865
  • 1st in share with a bachelor's degree42.2%
  • 1st in home value$281,872
  • 2nd in diversity score53.0
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
522,560
+28%since 2000
from 408,326 in 2000
535,174 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
355 / sq mi
+28%since 2000
from 278 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
36.8
+9%since 2000
from 33.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,470 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
331K383K435K488K540K19902000201020202024Lexington
2024523K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.7%(29,997)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.1%(31,711)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(32,676)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.9%(36,230)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 248.7%(45,312)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.2%(74,006)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413%(67,898)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412%(62,787)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.7%(61,076)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.4%(48,905)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.6%(24,046)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(7,916)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$71,865
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,763 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$42,479
+93%since 2000
from $22,009 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
48.3%
+18.0 ptssince 2009
from 30.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
13.8%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 11.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.481
+4%since 2010
from 0.465 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade5.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services4.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.9%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$281,872
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $106,376 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,139
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $516 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
59.7%
−0.5 ptssince 2000
from 60.1% in 2000
40.3% rent
Vacancy rate
6.4%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 8.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.35 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.40 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.8%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 22.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.2%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 43.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.9
+23%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
61
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic83.8%(342,002)
Black10.3%(41,996)
Hispanic / Latino2.7%(11,195)
Asian1.7%(6,890)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic73.8%(385,501)
Black10.5%(54,659)
Hispanic / Latino8.1%(42,264)
Asian3.1%(16,017)
Other4.6%(24,119)
Diversity Score
53
+32%since 2009
from 40 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
33
−5%since 2020
from 35 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
Mexican5.1%(26,825)
Puerto Rican0.5%(2,856)
South American0.5%(2,675)
Honduran0.5%(2,346)
Cuban0.4%(1,983)
Guatemalan0.4%(1,865)
Venezuelan0.2%(996)
Panamanian0.2%(749)
Spaniard0.2%(704)
Peruvian0.2%(550)
Colombian0.1%(496)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Costa Rican0.1%(234)
Chilean0.1%(234)
Dominican0.1%(211)
Argentine0.1%(204)
Ecuadorian0%(113)
Bolivian0%(44)
Uruguayan0%(10)
Asian origin
Chinese0.7%(3,592)
Asian Indian0.6%(2,945)
Nepalese0.6%(2,212)
Korean0.3%(1,354)
Filipino0.3%(1,333)
Japanese0.3%(1,315)
Cambodian0.2%(801)
Vietnamese0.1%(574)
Taiwanese0.1%(374)
Pakistani0.1%(339)
Indonesian0%(183)
Bangladeshi0.1%(180)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0.1%(167)
Bhutanese0%(128)
Kazakh0%(108)
Mongolian0%(23)
Burmese0%(20)
Malaysian0%(18)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.2%(132)
Samoan0%(61)
Ancestry
English15.3%(80,069)
German11.9%(62,305)
Irish11.1%(57,966)
American9.8%(51,337)
Scottish2.4%(12,786)
Italian2.3%(12,050)
Scotch-Irish1.7%(8,807)
French1.6%(8,125)
Polish1.1%(5,928)
Dutch0.8%(4,434)
Welsh0.7%(3,879)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Arab0.7%(3,440)
British0.6%(3,016)
Norwegian0.5%(2,732)
Swedish0.5%(2,708)
Ukrainian0.5%(2,428)
French Canadian0.3%(1,489)
Hungarian0.3%(1,395)
Nigerian0.3%(1,341)
Russian0.2%(1,267)
West Indian0.2%(1,148)
Czech0.2%(1,117)
Iranian0.2%(967)
Swiss0.2%(851)
Canadian0.1%(739)
Portuguese0.1%(732)
Danish0.1%(719)
Ghanaian0.2%(705)
Greek0.1%(702)
Egyptian0.2%(627)
Lebanese0.1%(507)
Slovak0.1%(482)
Haitian0.1%(468)
Syrian0.1%(411)
Belgian0.1%(409)
Palestinian0.1%(398)
Bulgarian0.1%(362)
Lithuanian0.1%(353)
Jamaican0.1%(352)
Austrian0.1%(332)
Iraqi0.1%(316)
Brazilian0.1%(248)
Turkish0.1%(229)
Finnish0%(218)
Slovene0%(193)
Jordanian0.1%(191)
Romanian0%(182)
Kenyan0%(158)
Armenian0%(131)
Croatian0%(122)
Moroccan0%(91)
Ethiopian0%(84)
Latvian0%(51)
Guyanese0%(34)
Serbian0%(23)
Israeli0%(12)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
42.2%
+12.3 ptssince 2000
from 29.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
91.7%
+8.6 ptssince 2000
from 83.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
17.9%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 12.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.9 min
+65%since 2000
from 13.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
74.4%
−5.5 ptssince 2009
from 79.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.0%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.0%
+8.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.4%
−3.2 ptssince 2011
from 7.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.4%
−1.7 ptssince 2011
from 68.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 75.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 13.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
44.5%
+6.7 ptssince 2009
from 37.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
Female
50.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
Foreign born
8.9%
+2.9 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.6%
−3.6 ptssince 2009
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.3%
+1.7 ptssince 2012
from 12.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.5%
−7.2 ptssince 2013
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.9%
+11.9 ptssince 2017
from 80.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.3%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 93.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
83.0%
+3.1 ptssince 2020
from 79.9% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
88.0%
−2.5 ptssince 2016
from 90.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
6.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2016
from 5.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married37.2%(77,718)
Married49.7%(103,761)
Widowed2.3%(4,843)
Divorced10.7%(22,319)
Women 15+
Never married32.5%(71,271)
Married46.1%(101,182)
Widowed7.6%(16,768)
Divorced13.8%(30,314)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.5%
−7.2 ptssince 2013
from 13.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
59.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 60.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.5%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 12.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 16.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
21.4%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 19.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
69.2%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 71.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.5%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 34.5% 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)24.5%(5,560)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24%(5,447)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.2%(7,312)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.2%(1,170)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.7%(158)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 22,713 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
Over time

Lexington, decade by decade

Lexington population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990348,428$66,407$165,91025.4%28.1
2000408,326$74,256$193,78029.8%35.8
2010472,099$69,998$225,26833.8%45.1
2020516,811$73,454$235,53438.7%55.0
2024522,560$71,865$281,87242.2%53.0

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

In this metro

Largest cities

LexingtonCENTRAL329,751Georgetown40,883Nicholasville33,857Winchester19,514Versailles10,734Paris10,130Wilmore6,380Midway1,787Stamping Ground843Millersburg745North Middletown606Sadieville346High Bridge109Keene105
What's inside

6 component counties

Fayette CountyCENTRAL329,751Scott County62,262Jessamine County57,147Clark County37,888Woodford County27,883Bourbon County20,243
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Lexington

Killeen
Pop 511,497
Visalia
Pop 485,146
Chattanooga
Pop 594,530
Lansing
Pop 479,722
Places similar to Lexington
Head to head

Compare Lexington side by side

LEXINGTON VS
Killeen
Income$69,874−3%
Home value$233,598−17%
Population511,497−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LEXINGTON VS
Visalia
Income$71,300−1%
Home value$330,100+17%
Population485,146−9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LEXINGTON VS
Chattanooga
Income$72,439+1%
Home value$278,889−1%
Population594,530+11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LEXINGTON VS
Lansing
Income$72,596+1%
Home value$213,204−24%
Population479,722−10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

Lexington-Fayette, KY has about 522,560 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

The typical household in Lexington-Fayette, KY earns about $71,865 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lexington-Fayette, KY expensive?

In Lexington-Fayette, KY, the median home is worth about $281,872, and the typical rent is about $1,139 a month.

How educated are people in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

About 42.2% of adults age 25 and over in Lexington-Fayette, KY hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

About 13.8% of people in Lexington-Fayette, KY live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lexington-Fayette, KY grown since 1990?

Yes, Lexington-Fayette, KY has grown since 1990. The population has added about 174,132 residents, a change of about 50 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Lexington-Fayette, KY: population, income & housing data · CensusEasy