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STATE · ADMITTED 1792 · 1990 CENSUS

Kentucky

3,685,296 residents · 120 counties · 554 cities · 39,486 sq mi · 1,306 census tracts
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The short version

With 3,685,296 people, Kentucky is a state. Median home value sits at $50,100. 14% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The poverty rate is 19.0%, above the 13.2% national rate. Median rent is $319 a month. The median household earns $22,534, about 25% below the national median.

KY
Section 01

Population & growth

3,685,296
−9%vs 2000
vs 4,041,769 in 2000
1990 – 2024
33.1
−8%vs 2000
vs 35.9 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
39,486 sq mi
Population, 19902024
3.6M3.9M4.1M4.4M4.6M19902000201020202024Kentucky
20244.5M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.8%(250,341)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.2%(264,807)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.5%(276,415)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.7%(284,988)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.5%(274,912)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3416.6%(612,346)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.9%(550,788)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5410.4%(382,131)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 648.7%(321,752)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747.3%(270,085)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.1%(152,667)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.2%(44,064)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$22,534
−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $33,672 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
$11,153
−38%vs 2000
vs $18,093 in 2000
US average: $14,340
19.0%
+3.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 15.8% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

$50,100
−17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $79,600 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
$319
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $445 in 2000
US average: $450
69.6%
−1.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 70.8% in 2000
30.4% rent
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic92.1%(3,392,615)
Black7.1%(262,057)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(20,363)
Asian0.5%(17,309)
Other0.4%(13,315)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)
Bolivian0%(204)
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)
Sri Lankan0%(363)
Uzbek0%(144)
Malaysian0%(66)
Hmong0%(44)
Mongolian0%(24)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.1%(2,373)
Chamorro0%(820)
Samoan0%(731)
Guamanian0%(132)
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)
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)
Barbadian0%(278)
Israeli0%(204)
Guyanese0%(131)
Section 05

Education

13.6%
−3.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 17.1% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
64.6%
−9.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 74.1% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
5.5%
−1.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 6.9% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

20.7 min
+31%vs 2000
vs 15.8 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

6.0%
−8.4 ptssince 2013
from 14.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
52.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 53.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.5%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 12.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
20.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 19.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
27.6%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 26.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)25.4%(58,141)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.2%(75,839)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.3%(7,594)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.8%(1,929)
US avg: 1%

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

See all cities in Kentucky
4.Owensboro60,892
5.Covington41,847
6.Georgetown40,883
7.Richmond40,663
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
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
33.Bardstown14,161
34.Newport13,998
35.Somerset12,695
36.Lawrenceburg12,329
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
10.Madisonville45,127
11.Murray39,421
13.Mayfield37,050
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 3,685,296 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Kentucky?

The typical household in Kentucky earns about $22,534 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Kentucky expensive?

In Kentucky, the median home is worth about $50,100, and the typical rent is about $319 a month.

How educated are people in Kentucky?

About 13.6% of adults age 25 and over in Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Kentucky?

About 19.0% of people in Kentucky live below the federal poverty line.

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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 County

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →