Bourbon County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bourbon 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 averageHealthier than 72% of counties in Kentucky
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 73% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 72% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bourbon County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,240 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 69.4 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.15% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.5 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,134 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bourbon County grew by 2.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,240 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bourbon County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.1% of residents. That is 2.0 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,886 19.2% -2.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,867 19.1% -1.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,479 22.1% +2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,758 18.6% +0.7 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 50.0% of the people living in Bourbon County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 50.0% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bourbon County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Bourbon County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Bourbon County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,521 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.36% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bourbon County is about 4% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Bourbon County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $287,999 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $822 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.7% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bourbon County is about 29.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $822 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bourbon County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 194 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bourbon County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.3 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.6 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 194 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,015 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.7% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,229 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 545 | 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 Bourbon 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
Bourbon County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Bourbon County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.0% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 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
Bourbon County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Bourbon County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.7% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.5% | 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).
Bourbon County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Bourbon County, KY is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 20,240 residents against a local median of 37,190. The measure that sets Bourbon County, KY apart most is median home price: $287,999, 97% above the local median of $145,827.
The counties themselves spread $79,614 on median home price, so Bourbon County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Bourbon County, KY has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon County, KY | 20,240 | $61,521 #3/4 | $287,999 #1/4 | 23.3 min #4/4 |
| Clark County, KY | 37,190 | $66,114 | $217,279 | 21.8 min |
| Fayette County, KY | 323,723 | $70,277 | $145,827 | 18.5 min |
| Montgomery County, KY | 28,394 | $56,855 | $137,665 | 20.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bourbon County, Kentucky.
How big is Bourbon County, Kentucky by population?
About 20,240 people live in Bourbon County, Kentucky, in 8,134 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 42.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Bourbon County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Bourbon County, Kentucky has 69 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 Bourbon County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 4.7 times the median household income ($287,999 against $61,521), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $822 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Bourbon County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Bourbon County, Kentucky is only 4.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Bourbon County, Kentucky have a college degree?
21.0% of adults in Bourbon County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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