STATE · ADMITTED 1792
Kentucky
4,534,824 residents · 120 counties · 554 cities · 39,486 sq mi · 1,306 census tracts
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The short version
With 4,534,824 people, Kentucky is a state. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $205,600. The foreign-born share is 5%. 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median rent is $967 a month. The median household earns $63,726, about 23% below the national median.
Section 01
Population & growth
Land area
39,486 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
20244.5M
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.9%(266,225)
5 to 96.2%(283,424)
10 to 146.5%(294,437)
15 to 196.5%(293,837)
20 to 246.6%(298,143)
25 to 3413.1%(595,129)
35 to 4412.6%(571,123)
45 to 5412.3%(557,506)
55 to 6413%(590,324)
65 to 7410.5%(476,480)
75 to 845.1%(232,690)
85 and over1.7%(75,506)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$63,726
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,672 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
42.9%
+19.4 ptssince 2009
from 23.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade14.3%
Information11.5%
Finance & insurance7%
Wholesale trade6.3%
Professional, scientific, technical5.9%
Other services5.6%
Public administration4.3%
Transportation & warehousing2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.8%
Construction1.3%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
Education & health services1.1%
Manufacturing0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$205,600
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $79,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.2
+18%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.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic89.3%(3,608,013)
Black7.3%(293,639)
Hispanic / Latino1.5%(59,939)
Asian0.7%(29,368)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic81.5%(3,698,087)
Black7.6%(342,570)
Hispanic / Latino5%(226,744)
Asian1.6%(72,372)
Other4.3%(195,051)
41
+44%since 2009
from 28 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican2.5%(111,299)
Cuban0.8%(34,404)
Central American0.6%(28,820)
Puerto Rican0.5%(21,717)
Guatemalan0.3%(14,661)
South American0.3%(12,028)
Honduran0.2%(7,412)
Colombian0.1%(3,817)
Spaniard0.1%(3,425)
Venezuelan0.1%(3,028)
Salvadoran0.1%(2,852)
Peruvian0.1%(2,408)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Panamanian0.1%(2,361)
Dominican0%(2,112)
Argentine0%(957)
Nicaraguan0%(883)
Ecuadorian0%(764)
Chilean0%(613)
Costa Rican0%(595)
Bolivian0%(204)
Paraguayan0%(93)
Uruguayan0%(50)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.4%(17,357)
Chinese0.2%(9,475)
Filipino0.2%(7,744)
Burmese0.2%(7,060)
Vietnamese0.1%(6,333)
Korean0.1%(5,462)
Nepalese0.1%(4,112)
Japanese0.1%(3,980)
Pakistani0%(1,933)
Cambodian0%(1,859)
Taiwanese0%(1,068)
Thai0%(796)
+ 11 more asian origin groups with data
Bhutanese0%(564)
Indonesian0%(416)
Laotian0%(410)
Kazakh0%(394)
Bangladeshi0%(381)
Sri Lankan0%(363)
Singaporean0%(181)
Uzbek0%(144)
Malaysian0%(66)
Hmong0%(44)
Mongolian0%(24)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(2,373)
Chamorro0%(820)
Samoan0%(731)
Guamanian0%(132)
Marshallese0%(60)
Tongan0%(50)
Fijian0%(18)
Ancestry
English14.5%(659,510)
German12.7%(576,331)
American11.5%(522,727)
Irish11%(497,366)
Italian2%(91,891)
Scottish2%(89,515)
French1.3%(57,170)
Scotch-Irish1.2%(54,139)
Subsaharan African1%(46,499)
Polish0.9%(40,786)
Dutch0.7%(31,887)
Welsh0.5%(24,396)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.4%(17,193)
Arab0.4%(16,181)
British0.4%(15,990)
Norwegian0.3%(15,402)
Swiss0.2%(9,642)
Russian0.2%(8,918)
West Indian0.2%(8,576)
Hungarian0.2%(7,195)
French Canadian0.2%(6,920)
Ukrainian0.1%(5,943)
Greek0.1%(5,696)
Czech0.1%(4,697)
Portuguese0.1%(4,286)
Danish0.1%(3,984)
Canadian0.1%(3,953)
Lebanese0.1%(3,815)
Nigerian0.1%(3,583)
Jamaican0.1%(3,232)
Austrian0.1%(2,978)
Slovak0.1%(2,846)
Haitian0.1%(2,701)
Iranian0.1%(2,677)
Lithuanian0.1%(2,665)
Finnish0.1%(2,403)
Moroccan0.1%(2,279)
Belgian0%(2,216)
Croatian0%(1,967)
Iraqi0%(1,703)
Somali0%(1,636)
Ethiopian0%(1,588)
Romanian0%(1,561)
Egyptian0%(1,414)
Palestinian0%(1,274)
Brazilian0%(1,255)
Turkish0%(1,129)
Syrian0%(1,096)
Ghanaian0%(1,052)
Latvian0%(1,039)
Kenyan0%(982)
Serbian0%(870)
Slovene0%(848)
Armenian0%(832)
Bulgarian0%(770)
Jordanian0%(488)
Australian0%(453)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(377)
Barbadian0%(278)
Israeli0%(204)
Guyanese0%(131)
Cape Verdean0%(90)
Macedonian0%(71)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
88.9%
+14.8 ptssince 2000
from 74.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.1%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 69.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
93.6%
+5.1 ptssince 2020
from 88.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married33.4%(604,964)
Married51.5%(934,149)
Widowed3.3%(59,178)
Divorced11.9%(215,370)
Women 15+
Never married26.9%(504,121)
Married49.2%(924,348)
Widowed9.9%(186,275)
Divorced14%(262,333)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
11.5%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 12.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
63.1%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 65.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
44.6%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 43.0% 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%(55,994)
Gulf War (1990s)25.4%(58,141)
Vietnam era33.2%(75,839)
Korean War3.3%(7,594)
World War II0.8%(1,929)
Share of the 228,692 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
Section 02
Largest cities
2.Lexington-Fayette urban county329,751
3.Bowling Green78,505
4.Owensboro60,892
5.Covington41,847
6.Georgetown40,883
7.Richmond40,663
8.Elizabethtown35,448
9.Florence34,018
10.Nicholasville33,857
11.Hopkinsville30,411
12.Independence30,198
13.Jeffersontown29,193
14.Frankfort28,657
15.Henderson27,822
16.Paducah26,730
17.Radcliff22,576
18.Ashland20,996
19.Erlanger20,158
20.Winchester19,514
21.Madisonville19,428
22.Mount Washington18,989
23.Murray18,964
24.Shelbyville18,453
25.Burlington18,008
26.St. Matthews17,868
27.Danville17,736
28.Fort Thomas17,142
29.Berea16,662
30.Shively15,895
31.Glasgow15,302
32.Shepherdsville14,931
33.Bardstown14,161
34.Newport13,998
35.Somerset12,695
36.Lawrenceburg12,329
37.Campbellsville11,783
38.Fort Campbell North11,356
39.Lyndon11,301
40.Alexandria10,994
41.Franklin10,759
42.Versailles10,734
43.La Grange10,669
44.Francisville10,565
45.Oakbrook10,211
Section 03
Metropolitan & micropolitan areas
Metropolitan areas (6)
1.Louisville1,402,509
2.Lexington535,174
3.Bowling Green197,180
4.Elizabethtown128,666
5.Owensboro113,962
6.Paducah102,259
Micropolitan areas (15)
1.Corbin150,040
2.Richmond131,806
3.Pikeville89,122
4.Frankfort77,874
5.Somerset67,384
6.Henderson57,184
7.Danville56,985
8.Glasgow56,224
9.Mount Sterling48,428
10.Madisonville45,127
11.Murray39,421
12.Campbellsville38,407
13.Mayfield37,050
14.Middlesborough22,829
15.Franklin20,788
Metropolitan areas are built around an urban core of 50,000 or more people; micropolitan areas around a core of 10,000 to 50,000. A statistical area can cross state lines, so each is listed under its primary state.
Frequently asked
How many people live in Kentucky?
Kentucky has about 4,534,824 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Kentucky?
The typical household in Kentucky earns about $63,726 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Kentucky expensive?
In Kentucky, the median home is worth about $205,600, and the typical rent is about $967 a month.
How educated are people in Kentucky?
About 27.6% of adults age 25 and over in Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Kentucky?
About 16.1% of people in Kentucky live below the federal poverty line.
Has Kentucky grown since 1990?
Yes, Kentucky has grown since 1990. The population has added about 849,528 residents, a change of about 23 percent over that period.
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All 120 counties
Jefferson CountyFayette CountyKenton CountyWarren CountyBoone CountyHardin CountyDaviess CountyMadison CountyCampbell CountyBullitt CountyOldham CountyChristian CountyMcCracken CountyPulaski CountyLaurel CountyScott CountyJessamine CountyPike CountyFranklin CountyShelby CountyNelson CountyBoyd CountyBarren CountyHopkins CountyHenderson CountyCalloway CountyClark CountyWhitley CountyGraves CountyGreenup CountyFloyd CountyMarshall CountyBoyle CountyMeade CountyMuhlenberg CountyKnox CountyMontgomery CountyLogan CountyWoodford CountyGrayson CountyTaylor CountyPerry CountyGrant CountyCarter CountyLincoln CountyAnderson CountyHarlan CountyRowan CountyOhio CountyMercer CountyBell CountyAllen CountyJohnson CountyBreckinridge CountySpencer CountySimpson CountyBourbon CountyHart CountyMarion CountyLetcher CountyHarrison CountyWayne CountyClay CountyAdair CountyRussell CountyGarrard CountyMcCreary CountyMason CountyHenry CountyCasey CountyRockcastle CountyFleming CountyLawrence CountyLarue CountyPendleton CountyTrigg CountyMorgan CountyEstill CountyJackson CountyKnott CountyBath CountyTodd CountyWebster CountyLewis CountyUnion CountyPowell CountyEdmonson CountyCaldwell CountyBreathitt CountyButler CountyWashington CountyGreen CountyOwen CountyMonroe CountyCarroll CountyMagoffin CountyMartin CountyMetcalfe CountyLeslie CountyClinton CountyLyon CountyMcLean CountyHancock CountyLivingston CountyGallatin CountyCrittenden CountyTrimble CountyBracken CountyNicholas CountyBallard CountyLee CountyElliott CountyMenifee CountyWolfe CountyFulton CountyCumberland CountyCarlisle CountyHickman CountyOwsley CountyRobertson CountyDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024