Powell County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Powell 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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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Powell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,038 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 72.3 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.66% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.8 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,790 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Powell County declined by 4.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 13,038 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Powell County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.0% of residents. That is 1.9 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,705 20.7% -0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,706 20.8% -0.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,874 22.0% +1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,175 16.7% -1.1 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 50.2% of the people living in Powell County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.8% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Powell County
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Economy
Powell County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Powell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,249 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.29% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Powell County is about 37% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Powell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $46,339 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $746 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.2% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Powell County is about 5.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $746 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Powell County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 192 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Powell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.0 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.0 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 192 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,946 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.0% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,502 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 347 | 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 Powell County is 23 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
Powell County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Powell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.8% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.65 | 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
Powell County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Powell County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 70.8 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.9% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.1% | 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).
Powell County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Powell County, KY compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powell County, KY | 13,038 | $40,249 #2/2 | $46,339 #2/2 | 23.0 min #2/2 |
| Montgomery County, KY | 28,394 | $56,855 | $137,665 | 20.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Powell County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Powell County, Kentucky?
About 13,038 people live in Powell County, Kentucky, in 4,790 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 37.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Powell County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Powell County, Kentucky has 72 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Powell County, Kentucky an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.2 times the median household income ($46,339 against $40,249), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $746 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Powell County, Kentucky?
13.8% of adults in Powell County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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