Hardin County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hardin 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 92% of counties in Kentucky
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 86% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 87% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hardin County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 111,942 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 177.8 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.50% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.8 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 44,622 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hardin County grew by 14.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 111,942 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hardin County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.8% of residents. That is 0.9 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 24,018 21.5% +0.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 24,368 21.8% +0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 22,735 20.3% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 17,199 15.4% -2.5 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 50.6% of the people living in Hardin County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.4% Kentucky 49.5%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hardin County
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Economy
Hardin County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Hardin County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,218 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.38% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hardin County is about 5% higher than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Hardin County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $231,140 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $970 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.6% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hardin County is about 19.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $970 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hardin County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 153 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hardin County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.3 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.7 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 153 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,740 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.2% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,100 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 612 | 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 Hardin County is 18 minutes, shorter 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
Hardin County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hardin County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.2% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 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
Hardin County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Hardin County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.3% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.9% | 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).
Hardin County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Hardin County, KY is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 111,942 residents against a local median of 30,155. Where Hardin County, KY breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 34% below the local median of 27.9 min at 18.3 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $231,140 against a local median of $186,458, 24% above it. The counties themselves spread 8.2 min on commute, so Hardin County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hardin County, KY has the lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin County, KY | 111,942 | $67,218 #3/4 | $231,140 #1/4 | 18.3 min #1/4 |
| Meade County, KY | 30,155 | $73,987 | $186,458 | 27.9 min |
| Bullitt County, KY | 84,027 | $81,944 | $187,115 | 28.5 min |
| Grayson County, KY | 26,707 | $51,160 | $181,071 | 20.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hardin County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Hardin County, Kentucky?
About 111,942 people live in Hardin County, Kentucky, in 44,622 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Hardin County, Kentucky mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hardin County, Kentucky has 178 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.1 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Hardin County, Kentucky an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.4 times the median household income ($231,140 against $67,218), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $970 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Hardin County, Kentucky?
22.2% of adults in Hardin 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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