Adair County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Adair County, KY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 72% of counties in Kentucky
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Adair County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,089 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 46.3 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.04% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.6 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,136 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Adair County grew by 6.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,089 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Adair County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.1% of residents. That is 1.7 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,410 23.1% +1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,532 18.5% -2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,909 20.5% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,707 19.4% +1.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Kentucky, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.1% of the people living in Adair County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.9% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Adair County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Adair County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Adair County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,979 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.84% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Adair County is about 18% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Adair County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $19,564 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $771 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.2% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Adair County is about 2.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $771 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Adair County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 157 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Adair County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.8 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.7 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 157 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,865 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.7% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,996 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 412 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Adair County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Kentucky.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Adair County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Adair County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.0% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.50 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Adair County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Adair County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.0 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.7% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 26.6% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Adair County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Adair County, KY compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County, KY | 19,089 | $52,979 #2/2 | $19,564 #2/2 | 18.8 min #2/2 |
| Taylor County, KY | 26,397 | $60,539 | $34,744 | 15.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Adair County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Adair County, Kentucky?
About 19,089 people live in Adair County, Kentucky, in 7,136 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 38.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Adair County, Kentucky mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Adair County, Kentucky has 46 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 54% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Adair County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 0.4 times the median household income ($19,564 against $52,979), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $771 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Adair County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Adair County, Kentucky is 6.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Adair County, Kentucky?
17.0% of adults in Adair County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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