Marion County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Marion 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.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Marion County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,749 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 56.9 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.16% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.7 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,724 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Marion County grew by 2.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,749 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Marion County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.5% of residents. That is 1.4 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,164 21.1% -0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,948 20.0% -0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,256 21.5% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,384 17.1% -0.7 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 49.2% of the people living in Marion County and men 50.8%.
- Women 49.2% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 50.8% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Marion County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Marion County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Marion County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,648 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.09% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Marion County is about 7% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Marion County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $73,333 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $725 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.7% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Marion County is about 8.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $725 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Marion County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 144 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Marion County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.2 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.5 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 144 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,452 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.1% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,389 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 718 | 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 Marion County is 17 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
Marion County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Marion County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.1% | 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
Marion County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Marion County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.3 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.5% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.3% | 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).
Marion County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Marion County, KY is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 19,749 residents against a local median of 30,941. The measure that sets Marion County, KY apart most is median home price: $73,333, 61% below the local median of $189,130.
The counties themselves spread $243,096 on median home price, so Marion County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Marion County, KY has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, KY | 19,749 | $59,648 #4/4 | $73,333 #3/4 | 17.2 min #3/4 |
| Taylor County, KY | 26,397 | $60,539 | $34,744 | 15.3 min |
| Nelson County, KY | 47,606 | $69,485 | $277,840 | 22.2 min |
| Boyle County, KY | 30,941 | $61,212 | $189,130 | 16.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Marion County, Kentucky.
How big is Marion County, Kentucky by population?
About 19,749 people live in Marion County, Kentucky, in 7,724 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Marion County, Kentucky urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Marion County, Kentucky has 57 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 66% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Marion County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($73,333 against $59,648), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $725 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Marion County, Kentucky have a college degree?
12.1% of adults in Marion County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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