Bracken County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bracken 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
-
C
Income Below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bracken County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,444 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 40.4 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.04% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.2 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,364 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bracken County declined by 2.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,444 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bracken County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.5% of residents. That is 2.4 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,660 19.7% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,694 20.1% -0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,899 22.5% +2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,490 17.7% -0.2 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 49.7% of the people living in Bracken County and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 50.3% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bracken County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Bracken County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Bracken County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,453 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 8.41% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bracken County is about 5% higher than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Bracken County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $55,000 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $756 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.5% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bracken County is about 6.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $756 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bracken County spend about 66 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 277 hours, about 11.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bracken County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 33.2 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 66.5 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 277 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,585 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.4% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,059 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 298 | 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 Bracken County is 33 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
Bracken County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Bracken County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.9% | 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
Bracken County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Bracken County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.4% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.2% | 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).
Bracken County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Bracken County, KY compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bracken County, KY | 8,444 | $67,453 #2/2 | $55,000 #1/2 | 33.2 min #2/2 |
| Brown County, OH | 43,837 | $69,790 | $32,500 | 32.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bracken County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Bracken County, Kentucky?
About 8,444 people live in Bracken County, Kentucky, in 3,364 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 42.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Bracken County, Kentucky mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Bracken County, Kentucky has 40 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 47% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Bracken County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($55,000 against $67,453), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $756 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Bracken County, Kentucky?
15.9% of adults in Bracken 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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