Knox County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Knox 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.
-
D
Health Well below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Kentucky
-
F
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 92% of counties in Kentucky
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Knox County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,865 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 77.0 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.75% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.6 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,711 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Knox County declined by 7.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 29,865 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Knox County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.2% of residents. That is 0.2 points below Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,330 21.2% -0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,797 19.4% -1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,062 20.3% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,366 18.0% +0.1 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 51.3% of the people living in Knox County and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 48.7% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Knox County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Knox County has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Knox County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $32,074 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.50% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.1% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Knox County is about 50% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Knox County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $87,692 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $680 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.3% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Knox County is about 10.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $680 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Knox 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 152 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Knox County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.3 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.6 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 152 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,725 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.8% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,180 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 787 | 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 Knox 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
Knox County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Knox County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.5% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 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
Knox County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Knox County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.5 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 30.8% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 32.7% | 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).
Knox County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Knox County, KY is typical in size for this group, 29,865 residents against a local median of 34,693, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Knox County, KY breaks from the counties next to it is median household income, sitting 32% below the local median of $46,985 at $32,074. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $87,692 against a local median of $120,071, 27% below it. The counties themselves spread $26,449 on median household income, so Knox County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Knox County, KY has the 4th highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County, KY | 29,865 | $32,074 #4/5 | $87,692 #3/5 | 18.3 min #2/5 |
| Bell County, KY | 23,509 | $31,831 | $62,209 | 17.9 min |
| Whitley County, KY | 36,920 | $44,696 | $41,786 | 20.4 min |
| Laurel County, KY | 62,983 | $58,280 | $177,934 | 18.3 min |
| Claiborne County, TN | 32,466 | $49,273 | $207,311 | 20.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Knox County, Kentucky.
How big is Knox County, Kentucky by population?
About 29,865 people live in Knox County, Kentucky, in 11,711 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 38.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Knox County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Knox County, Kentucky has 77 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Knox County, Kentucky an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($87,692 against $32,074), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $680 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Knox County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Knox County, Kentucky is 8.1%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Knox County, Kentucky have a college degree?
15.5% of adults in Knox County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →