Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Kentucky Population Density Map and Area Scores
State Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy states in the US
-
C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 86% of states in the US
-
D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 88% of states in the US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Kentucky | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Kentucky grew by 6.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 4,533,530 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Kentucky is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.4% of residents. That is about the same share as the US.
- Gen Z 13–28 968,156 21.4% on par
- Millennials 29–44 947,405 20.9% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 911,680 20.1% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 808,085 17.8% +0.9 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 the US, 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 50.5% of the people living in Kentucky and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% the US 50.5%
- Men 49.5% the US 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Kentucky
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Kentucky has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Kentucky | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Kentucky is about 20% lower than in US.
Housing
| Metric | Kentucky | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Kentucky is about 10.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $967 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Kentucky spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 173 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Kentucky | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 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 Kentucky is 21 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in US.
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
Kentucky has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Kentucky | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 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
Kentucky has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Kentucky | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 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).
Kentucky Compared With Nearby States
Kentucky is the 5th largest of the 6 states compared here, 4,533,530 residents against a local median of 7,058,506. The measure that sets Kentucky apart most is median home price: $118,017, 17% below the local median of $142,738.
The states themselves spread $161,087 on median home price, so Kentucky sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Kentucky has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 4,533,530 | $64,312 #5/6 | $118,017 #5/6 | 20.8 min #1/6 |
| Tennessee | 7,058,506 | $69,901 | $255,786 | 22.4 min |
| Indiana | 6,845,048 | $71,967 | $142,738 | 21.1 min |
| Ohio | 11,799,428 | $71,509 | $139,044 | 21.1 min |
| Illinois | 12,692,444 | $84,042 | $149,936 | 23.6 min |
| West Virginia | 1,778,099 | $59,640 | $94,699 | 21.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Kentucky.
What is the population of Kentucky?
About 4,533,530 people live in Kentucky, in 1,813,524 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 37.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Kentucky has 112 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Kentucky an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($118,017 against $64,312), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $967 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →