Jackson County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jackson 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 averageLess healthy than 82% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 82% of counties in Kentucky
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 79% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jackson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,086 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 37.7 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.25% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.8 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,122 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jackson County declined by 2.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 13,086 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jackson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.4% of residents. That is 1.3 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,566 19.6% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,623 20.0% -0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,802 21.4% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,483 19.0% +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 50.5% of the people living in Jackson County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.5% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Jackson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Jackson County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Jackson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,000 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.29% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jackson County is about 38% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Jackson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $225,000 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $665 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.4% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jackson County is about 28.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $665 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jackson County spend about 64 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 268 hours, about 11.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jackson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 32.2 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 64.4 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 268 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,321 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.9% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,184 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 262 | 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 Jackson County is 32 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
Jackson County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Jackson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.1% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 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
Jackson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Jackson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.7 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 26.6% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 29.9% | 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).
Jackson County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Jackson County, KY compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, KY | 13,086 | $40,000 #2/2 | $225,000 #1/2 | 32.2 min #2/2 |
| Laurel County, KY | 62,983 | $58,280 | $177,934 | 18.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jackson County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Jackson County, Kentucky?
About 13,086 people live in Jackson County, Kentucky, in 5,122 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Jackson County, Kentucky urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Jackson County, Kentucky has 38 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 44% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Jackson County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 5.6 times the median household income ($225,000 against $40,000), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $665 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Jackson County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Jackson County, Kentucky is only 4.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Jackson County, Kentucky?
10.1% of adults in Jackson County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 10), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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