Barren County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Barren 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.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Barren County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,937 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 89.9 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.47% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.8 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 18,016 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Barren County grew by 9.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 44,937 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Barren County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.5% of residents. That is 0.4 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,838 19.7% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,204 20.5% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,221 20.5% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,168 18.2% +0.4 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 51.5% of the people living in Barren County and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 48.5% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Barren County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Barren County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Barren County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,825 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.43% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Barren County is about 21% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Barren County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $230,769 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $795 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.2% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Barren County is about 24.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $795 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Barren County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 151 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Barren County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.2 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.3 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 151 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,695 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.3% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,248 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 440 | 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 Barren County is 18 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
Barren County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Barren County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.2% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.46 | 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
Barren County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Barren County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.8 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.2% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 26.8% | 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).
Barren County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Barren County, KY compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barren County, KY | 44,937 | $50,825 #2/2 | $230,769 #1/2 | 18.2 min #1/2 |
| Allen County, KY | 21,293 | $61,460 | $142,646 | 23.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Barren County, Kentucky.
What is the population of Barren County, Kentucky?
About 44,937 people live in Barren County, Kentucky, in 18,016 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 38.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Barren County, Kentucky mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Barren County, Kentucky has 90 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Barren County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 4.5 times the median household income ($230,769 against $50,825), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $795 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Barren County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Barren County, Kentucky is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Barren County, Kentucky?
16.2% of adults in Barren County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →