Laurel County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Laurel 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
-
D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Laurel County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 62,983 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 141.8 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.62% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.2 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 23,996 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Laurel County grew by 10.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 62,983 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Laurel County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.7% of residents. That is 0.8 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,402 19.7% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,663 21.7% +0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,260 21.1% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,937 17.4% -0.5 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 50.4% of the people living in Laurel County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.6% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Laurel County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Laurel County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Laurel County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,280 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.13% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Laurel County is about 9% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Laurel County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $177,934 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $813 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.6% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Laurel County is about 18.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $813 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Laurel 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 | Laurel 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 | 8.7% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,528 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 668 | 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 Laurel 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
Laurel County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Laurel County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.7% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.57 | 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
Laurel County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Laurel County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.1 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.9% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 28.4% | 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).
Laurel County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Laurel County, KY compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel County, KY | 62,983 | $58,280 #1/3 | $177,934 #1/3 | 18.3 min #2/3 |
| Knox County, KY | 29,865 | $32,074 | $87,692 | 18.3 min |
| Whitley County, KY | 36,920 | $44,696 | $41,786 | 20.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Laurel County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Laurel County, Kentucky?
About 62,983 people live in Laurel County, Kentucky, in 23,996 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 40.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Laurel County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Laurel County, Kentucky has 142 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Laurel County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 3.1 times the median household income ($177,934 against $58,280), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $813 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Laurel County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Laurel County, Kentucky is only 3.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Laurel County, Kentucky have a college degree?
15.7% of adults in Laurel 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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