Mason County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mason 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 83% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Mason County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,956 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 68.8 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.20% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.6 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,130 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mason County declined by 1.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,956 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mason County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.1% of residents. That is 1.0 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,200 18.9% -2.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,330 19.6% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,581 21.1% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,313 19.5% +1.7 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 50.8% of the people living in Mason County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.2% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Mason County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Mason County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Mason County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,259 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.19% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mason County is about 17% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Mason County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $112,665 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $726 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.1% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mason County is about 12.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $726 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mason County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 146 hours, about 6.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mason County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.5 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.0 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 146 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,521 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.1% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,172 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 309 | 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 Mason 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
Mason County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Mason County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.0% | 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
Mason County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Mason County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.2 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.3% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.1% | 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).
Mason County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Mason County, KY compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason County, KY | 16,956 | $53,259 #2/2 | $112,665 #1/2 | 17.5 min #1/2 |
| Brown County, OH | 43,837 | $69,790 | $32,500 | 32.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mason County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Mason County, Kentucky?
About 16,956 people live in Mason County, Kentucky, in 7,130 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 40.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Mason County, Kentucky urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Mason County, Kentucky has 69 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Mason County, Kentucky an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.1 times the median household income ($112,665 against $53,259), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $726 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Mason County, Kentucky have a college degree?
21.0% of adults in Mason County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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