Simpson County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Simpson 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 averageHealthier than 78% of counties in Kentucky
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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 | Simpson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,972 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 84.5 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.42% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.4 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,025 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Simpson County grew by 17.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,972 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Simpson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.2% of residents. That is 1.1 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,023 20.1% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,072 20.4% -0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,238 21.2% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,568 17.9% on par
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 Simpson 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 Simpson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Simpson County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Simpson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,801 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.59% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Simpson County is about 7% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Simpson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $131,875 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,012 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.7% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Simpson County is about 10.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,012 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Simpson County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 143 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Simpson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.1 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.3 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 143 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,427 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.3% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,511 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 655 | 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 Simpson County is 17 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
Simpson County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Simpson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.8% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 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
Simpson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Simpson County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.6 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.0% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.6% | 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).
Simpson County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Simpson County, KY is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 19,972 residents against a local median of 75,539. The measure that sets Simpson County, KY apart most is commute: 17.1 min, 27% below the local median of 23.4 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 13.6 min on commute, so Simpson County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Simpson County, KY has the lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simpson County, KY | 19,972 | $59,801 #6/6 | $131,875 #4/6 | 17.1 min #1/6 |
| Warren County, KY | 140,918 | $65,763 | $126,288 | 17.6 min |
| Sumner County, TN | 204,441 | $90,746 | $338,684 | 26.7 min |
| Logan County, KY | 27,986 | $60,505 | $47,777 | 23.3 min |
| Robertson County, TN | 75,539 | $83,033 | $320,958 | 31.1 min |
| Allen County, KY | 21,293 | $61,460 | $142,646 | 23.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Simpson County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Simpson County, Kentucky?
About 19,972 people live in Simpson County, Kentucky, in 8,025 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 36.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Simpson County, Kentucky?
Averaged over its land area, Simpson County, Kentucky has 85 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 Simpson County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($131,875 against $59,801), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,012 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Simpson County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Simpson County, Kentucky is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Simpson County, Kentucky?
12.8% of adults in Simpson 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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