Metcalfe County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Metcalfe 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 76% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 71% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Metcalfe County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,425 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 35.8 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.54% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.4 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,100 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Metcalfe County grew by 3.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 10,425 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Metcalfe County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.5% of residents. That is 2.4 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,978 19.0% -2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,972 18.9% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,349 22.5% +2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,023 19.4% +1.6 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 Metcalfe 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 Metcalfe County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Metcalfe County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Metcalfe County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,015 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.24% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Metcalfe County is about 21% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Metcalfe County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $8,260 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $582 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.7% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Metcalfe County is about 1.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $582 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Metcalfe County spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 199 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Metcalfe County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.9 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.7 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 199 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,163 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,848 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 270 | 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 Metcalfe County is 24 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
Metcalfe County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Metcalfe County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.2% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.52 | 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
Metcalfe County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Metcalfe County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.7 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 26.3% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.9% | 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).
Metcalfe County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Metcalfe County, KY compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metcalfe County, KY | 10,425 | $51,015 #1/2 | $8,260 #2/2 | 23.9 min #2/2 |
| Barren County, KY | 44,937 | $50,825 | $230,769 | 18.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Metcalfe County, Kentucky.
What is the population of Metcalfe County, Kentucky?
About 10,425 people live in Metcalfe County, Kentucky, in 4,100 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Metcalfe County, Kentucky urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Metcalfe County, Kentucky has 36 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 41% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Metcalfe County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 0.2 times the median household income ($8,260 against $51,015), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $582 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Metcalfe County, Kentucky?
13.2% of adults in Metcalfe 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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