Owensboro, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Owensboro, 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 average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Owensboro | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,102 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1938.6 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.40% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.6 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 18,649 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Owensboro grew by 10.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 44,102 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Owensboro is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.4% of residents. That is about the same share as Kentucky.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,442 21.4% on par
- Millennials 29–44 8,711 19.8% -1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,244 18.7% -1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,256 18.7% +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 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 51.7% of the people living in Owensboro and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 48.3% Kentucky 49.5%
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Economy
Owensboro has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Owensboro | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,535 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.90% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Owensboro is about 12% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Owensboro | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $223,628 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $901 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 59.3% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Owensboro is about 20.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $901 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Owensboro spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 111 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Owensboro | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.3 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.7 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 111 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,443 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,263 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,856 | 832 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Owensboro is 13 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
Owensboro has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Owensboro | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.4% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.28 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Health
Owensboro has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Owensboro | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.0 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.6% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.5% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Owensboro, Kentucky.
How many people live in Owensboro, Kentucky?
About 44,102 people live in Owensboro, Kentucky, in 18,649 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 38.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Owensboro, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Owensboro, Kentucky has 1,939 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 22 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Owensboro, Kentucky?
The median home costs 4.0 times the median household income ($223,628 against $56,535), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $901 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Owensboro, Kentucky have a college degree?
22.4% of adults in Owensboro, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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