Henderson County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Henderson 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
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 76% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Henderson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,257 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 95.1 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.48% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.0 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 18,520 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Henderson County declined by 1.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 44,257 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Henderson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.6% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,651 19.5% -1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,789 19.9% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,578 21.6% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,376 18.9% +1.1 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 51.5% of the people living in Henderson County and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 48.5% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Henderson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Henderson County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Henderson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,734 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.22% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Henderson County is about 9% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Henderson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $57,499 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $777 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.9% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Henderson County is about 6.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $777 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Henderson County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Henderson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.8 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.5 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 156 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,847 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.2% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,189 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,545 | 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 Henderson County is 19 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
Henderson County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Henderson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.9% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 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
Henderson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Henderson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.8% | 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).
Henderson County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Henderson County, KY compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson County, KY | 44,257 | $58,734 #3/3 | $57,499 #2/3 | 18.8 min #2/3 |
| Vanderburgh County, IN | 180,116 | $61,861 | $95,517 | 17.1 min |
| Posey County, IN | 25,116 | $80,859 | $38,071 | 22.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Henderson County, Kentucky.
How big is Henderson County, Kentucky by population?
About 44,257 people live in Henderson County, Kentucky, in 18,520 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Henderson County, Kentucky mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Henderson County, Kentucky has 95 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Henderson County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 1.0 times the median household income ($57,499 against $58,734), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $777 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 Henderson County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Henderson County, Kentucky is only 2.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Henderson County, Kentucky?
17.9% of adults in Henderson 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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