Bath County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bath 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 averageLess healthy than 70% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bath County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,851 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 45.2 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.73% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.8 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,698 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bath County grew by 10.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 12,851 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bath County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.5% of residents. That is 1.4 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,553 19.9% -1.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,405 18.7% -2.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,759 21.5% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,289 17.8% on par
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 49.5% of the people living in Bath County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 50.5% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bath County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Bath County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Bath County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,179 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.92% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bath County is about 14% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Bath County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $306,579 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $658 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.7% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bath County is about 38.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $658 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bath County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 189 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bath County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.7 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.4 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 189 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,866 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.5% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,096 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 517 | 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 Bath County is 23 minutes, longer 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
Bath County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Bath County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.2% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.72 | 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
Bath County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Bath County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.5 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 25.6% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 28.1% | 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).
Bath County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Bath County, KY compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath County, KY | 12,851 | $55,179 #3/3 | $306,579 #1/3 | 22.7 min #3/3 |
| Montgomery County, KY | 28,394 | $56,855 | $137,665 | 20.3 min |
| Rowan County, KY | 24,578 | $55,857 | $49,998 | 17.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bath County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Bath County, Kentucky?
About 12,851 people live in Bath County, Kentucky, in 4,698 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 36.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Bath County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Bath County, Kentucky has 45 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 52% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Bath County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 5.6 times the median household income ($306,579 against $55,179), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $658 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Bath County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Bath County, Kentucky is only 2.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Bath County, Kentucky?
13.2% of adults in Bath County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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