Muhlenberg County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Muhlenberg 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
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 77% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Muhlenberg County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,591 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 63.9 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.25% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.5 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,122 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Muhlenberg County declined by 2.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 30,591 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Muhlenberg County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.9% of residents. That is 1.8 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,948 19.4% -1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,009 19.6% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,702 21.9% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,005 19.6% +1.8 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 49.3% of the people living in Muhlenberg County and men 50.7%.
- Women 49.3% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 50.7% Kentucky 49.5%
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100% of everyone living in Muhlenberg County
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Economy
Muhlenberg County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Muhlenberg County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,328 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.78% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Muhlenberg County is about 16% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Muhlenberg County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $68,749 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $718 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.8% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Muhlenberg County is about 8.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $718 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Muhlenberg County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 180 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Muhlenberg County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.6 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.3 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 180 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,593 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.0% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,548 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 504 | 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 Muhlenberg County is 22 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
Muhlenberg County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Muhlenberg County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.6% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 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
Muhlenberg County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Muhlenberg County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.7% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 26.0% | 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).
Muhlenberg County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Muhlenberg County, KY is typical in size for this group, 30,591 residents against a local median of 27,986, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Muhlenberg County, KY apart most is median home price: $68,749, 44% above the local median of $47,777.
The counties themselves spread $111,986 on median home price, so Muhlenberg County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Muhlenberg County, KY has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muhlenberg County, KY | 30,591 | $54,328 #4/4 | $68,749 #2/4 | 21.6 min #2/4 |
| Ohio County, KY | 23,735 | $57,842 | $19,336 | 28.4 min |
| Hopkins County, KY | 45,117 | $57,061 | $131,322 | 16.6 min |
| Logan County, KY | 27,986 | $60,505 | $47,777 | 23.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.
What is the population of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky?
About 30,591 people live in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, in 12,122 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Muhlenberg County, Kentucky urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky has 64 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($68,749 against $54,328), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $718 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 Muhlenberg County, Kentucky have a college degree?
12.6% of adults in Muhlenberg 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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