Hancock County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hancock 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 84% of counties in Kentucky
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 82% of counties in Kentucky
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 70% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hancock County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,034 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 45.5 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.43% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.4 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,638 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hancock County grew by 5.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 9,034 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hancock County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.0% of residents. That is 1.8 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,804 20.0% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,765 19.5% -1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,984 22.0% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,571 17.4% -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 49.2% of the people living in Hancock County and men 50.8%.
- Women 49.2% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 50.8% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hancock County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hancock County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Hancock County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,984 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.74% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hancock County is about 1% higher than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Hancock County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $19,791 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $739 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.2% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hancock County is about 2.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $739 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hancock County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 173 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hancock County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.8 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.6 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 173 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,375 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.1% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,313 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 568 | 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 Hancock County is about the same as 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
Hancock County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Hancock County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.9% | 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
Hancock County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Hancock County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.1% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.2% | 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).
Hancock County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Hancock County, KY is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 9,034 residents against a local median of 23,735. Hancock County, KY's median home price, at $19,791, runs 89% below the $172,465 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 20.8 min against a local median of 27.1 min, 23% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 23% below the local median it puts Hancock County, KY at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $193,035 on median home price, so Hancock County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hancock County, KY has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County, KY | 9,034 | $64,984 #2/4 | $19,791 #3/4 | 20.8 min #2/4 |
| Daviess County, KY | 103,589 | $67,826 | $212,371 | 16.3 min |
| Breckinridge County, KY | 20,880 | $55,056 | $172,465 | 27.1 min |
| Ohio County, KY | 23,735 | $57,842 | $19,336 | 28.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hancock County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Hancock County, Kentucky?
About 9,034 people live in Hancock County, Kentucky, in 3,638 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 42.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Hancock County, Kentucky mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hancock County, Kentucky has 45 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 53% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Hancock County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($19,791 against $64,984), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $739 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Hancock County, Kentucky?
15.9% of adults in Hancock 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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