Breckinridge County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Breckinridge 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 | Breckinridge County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,880 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 35.7 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.54% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.0 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,068 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Breckinridge County grew by 9.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,880 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Breckinridge County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.0% of residents. That is 1.9 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,023 19.3% -2.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,831 18.3% -2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,586 22.0% +1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,271 20.5% +2.6 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 49.5% of the people living in Breckinridge County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 50.5% Kentucky 49.5%
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100% of everyone living in Breckinridge County
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Economy
Breckinridge County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Breckinridge County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,056 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.90% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Breckinridge County is about 14% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Breckinridge County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $172,465 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $732 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.4% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Breckinridge County is about 19.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $732 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Breckinridge County spend about 54 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 226 hours, about 9.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Breckinridge County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.1 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 54.2 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 226 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,997 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.8% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,159 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 397 | 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 Breckinridge County is 27 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
Breckinridge County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Breckinridge County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.2% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.55 | 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
Breckinridge County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Breckinridge County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.9 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.9% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.8% | 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).
Breckinridge County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Breckinridge County, KY is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 20,880 residents against a local median of 30,155. The measure that sets Breckinridge County, KY apart most is commute: 27.1 min, 33% above the local median of 20.3 min. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $55,056 against a local median of $67,218, 18% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Breckinridge County, KY reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 9.5 min on commute, so Breckinridge County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Breckinridge County, KY has the 3rd lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breckinridge County, KY | 20,880 | $55,056 #3/4 | $172,465 #4/4 | 27.1 min #3/4 |
| Meade County, KY | 30,155 | $73,987 | $186,458 | 27.9 min |
| Grayson County, KY | 26,707 | $51,160 | $181,071 | 20.3 min |
| Hardin County, KY | 111,942 | $67,218 | $231,140 | 18.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Breckinridge County, Kentucky.
What is the population of Breckinridge County, Kentucky?
About 20,880 people live in Breckinridge County, Kentucky, in 8,068 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Breckinridge County, Kentucky mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Breckinridge County, Kentucky has 36 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 41% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Breckinridge County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 3.1 times the median household income ($172,465 against $55,056), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $732 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Breckinridge County, Kentucky?
13.2% of adults in Breckinridge 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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