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MICROPOLITAN AREA

Mount Sterling Micro

Mount Sterling, KY · 3 counties · 48,428 residents (2025 est.) · 679 sq mi
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The short version

Mount Sterling is home to 47,476 people. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 18% of adults. The foreign-born share is 1%. The typical home is worth $154,634, having more than doubled since 2000. Median rent is $763 a month. 19.6% of residents live below the federal poverty line.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 30%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

47,476
+18%since 2000
from 40,195 in 2000
48,428 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
70 / sq mi
+18%since 2000
from 59 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
40.7
+12%since 2000
from 36.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
679 sq mi
Population, 19902024
33K37K41K45K49K19902000201020202024Mount Sterling
202447K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.8%(2,770)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.7%(3,184)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.7%(3,163)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.1%(2,904)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(3,043)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.9%(5,653)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.7%(5,546)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.6%(6,455)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.2%(6,272)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.9%(5,198)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.4%(2,556)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(732)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$54,952
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $28,587 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
$29,264
+89%since 2000
from $15,457 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
37.1%
+19.9 ptssince 2009
from 17.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
19.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2000
from 19.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
0.472
+3%since 2010
from 0.456 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade21.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Information14.6%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade8.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance6.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services4.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Education & health services2.2%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Construction1.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Manufacturing0.5%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$154,634
+30%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $65,053 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
$763
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $361 in 2000
US average: $1,442
71.0%
−4.3 ptssince 2000
from 75.3% in 2000
29.0% rent
13.4%
−5.5 ptssince 2009
from 18.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.59 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.65 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
18.1%
−6.0 ptssince 2009
from 24.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
24.0%
−19.9 ptssince 2009
from 43.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
2.8
+3%since 2009
from 2.7 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.
57
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic95.4%(38,332)
Black2.6%(1,050)
Hispanic / Latino1%(421)
Asian0.1%(25)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic92.9%(44,119)
Black1%(481)
Hispanic / Latino2.9%(1,395)
Asian0.3%(138)
Other2.8%(1,343)
17
+53%since 2009
from 11 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
24
+1%since 2020
from 24 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
Mexican2.3%(1,078)
Puerto Rican0.2%(82)
Cuban0.7%(46)
Salvadoran0.2%(44)
Dominican0.1%(36)
Guatemalan0.1%(34)
Colombian0.1%(29)
Uruguayan0.1%(6)
Asian origin
Cambodian0.3%(93)
Pakistani0.1%(28)
Japanese0.1%(18)
Chinese0%(5)
Korean0%(5)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(29)
Ancestry
American26.1%(12,385)
English12%(5,694)
Irish8.5%(4,042)
German7%(3,346)
Scottish1%(468)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(411)
Italian0.8%(403)
French0.5%(229)
British0.4%(194)
Ukrainian1.2%(158)
Welsh0.3%(158)
Polish0.2%(116)
+ 19 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.2%(107)
Lithuanian0.2%(94)
Arab0.2%(80)
Hungarian0.2%(76)
Danish0.2%(66)
Russian0.1%(66)
Norwegian0.2%(63)
Swiss0.1%(31)
Swedish0.2%(30)
Greek0.1%(23)
Lebanese0.1%(18)
Kenyan0.1%(18)
Austrian0%(17)
Canadian0.1%(12)
Slovene0%(3)
Finnish0%(2)
Section 05

Education

17.8%
+6.1 ptssince 2000
from 11.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
84.6%
+19.4 ptssince 2000
from 65.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
7.3%
+3.1 ptssince 2000
from 4.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

27.4 min
+30%since 2000
from 21.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
82.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 82.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
8.3%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 12.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
7.1%
+4.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
1.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
6.5%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

4.1%
−6.3 ptssince 2011
from 10.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
55.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2011
from 54.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
66.1%
+4.9 ptssince 2020
from 61.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
13.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 13.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
27.8%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 25.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

49.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
50.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.8% in 2009
0.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
5.4%
−3.8 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
21.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2012
from 21.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
8.1%
−7.9 ptssince 2013
from 15.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
86.9%
+20.3 ptssince 2017
from 66.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
92.2%
+6.2 ptssince 2020
from 86.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
88.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 87.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
95.3%
−2.6 ptssince 2016
from 97.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
2.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2016
from 1.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married31.6%(5,838)
Married53.7%(9,931)
Widowed2.8%(519)
Divorced12%(2,212)
Women 15+
Never married21.4%(4,244)
Married51.3%(10,181)
Widowed10.4%(2,056)
Divorced17%(3,378)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

8.1%
−7.9 ptssince 2013
from 15.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
47.2%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 46.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
9.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 9.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
21.5%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 21.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
34.1%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 34.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 2.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
54.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 55.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
49.7%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 51.1% 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)14.7%(289)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)25.4%(498)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.2%(749)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.1%(139)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.2%(4)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,962 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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Mount Sterling, KY?

Mount Sterling, KY has about 47,476 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Mount Sterling, KY?

The typical household in Mount Sterling, KY earns about $54,952 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Mount Sterling, KY expensive?

In Mount Sterling, KY, the median home is worth about $154,634, and the typical rent is about $763 a month.

How educated are people in Mount Sterling, KY?

About 17.8% of adults age 25 and over in Mount Sterling, KY hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Mount Sterling, KY?

About 19.6% of people in Mount Sterling, KY live below the federal poverty line.

Has Mount Sterling, KY grown since 1990?

Yes, Mount Sterling, KY has grown since 1990. The population has added about 13,131 residents, a change of about 38 percent over that period.

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

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