Kentucky

State

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Population

4.47M

0.319% 1-year growth

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

Median Age

39.1

Poverty Rate

17.9%

Median Household Income

$50,247

3.87% 1-year growth

Median Property Value

$148,100

5.04% 1-year growth

Number of Employees

1.92M

1.19% 1-year growth

About

In 2018, Kentucky had a population of 4.47M people with a median age of 39.1 and a median household income of $50,247. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Kentucky grew from 4.45M to 4.47M, a 0.319% increase and its median household income grew from $48,375 to $50,247, a 3.87% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Kentucky are White (Non-Hispanic) (84.5%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (7.82%), White (Hispanic) (2.21%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.17%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.45%). 5.64% of the people in Kentucky speak a non-English language, and 97.8% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Kentucky are University of Kentucky (7,232 degrees awarded in 2017), University of Louisville (5,172 degrees), and Western Kentucky University (4,364 degrees).

The median property value in Kentucky is $148,100, and the homeownership rate is 67.4%. Most people in Kentucky commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 22.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Kentucky is 2 cars per household.

Kentucky borders Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Photo by Bill Brine

United States

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Kentucky, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Impact on Employment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kentucky (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Community Mobility

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Kentucky across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Civics

In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 62.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Hillary Rodham Clinton (32.7%), followed by Gary Johnson (2.79%). The most partisan county was Leslie County, KY with 89.4% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing the state of Kentucky. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2016 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (62.5%)
Republican Party
Hillary Rodham Clinton (32.7%)
Democratic Party
Gary Johnson (2.79%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 62.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Hillary Rodham Clinton (32.7%), followed by Gary Johnson (2.79%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Kentucky for each registered party from 1976 to 2016.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

Donald J. Trump

Popular Vote for Kentucky

62.5% for the Republican Party

Most Partisan Counties in Kentucky

Leslie County, KY
89.4% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Jackson County, KY
88.9% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Martin County, KY
88.6% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)

In the 2016 presidential election, the most partisan county in Kentucky was Leslie County, KY with 89.4% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

The following map shows the counties in Kentucky colored by their party leaning.

US Senators from Kentucky

Mitch McConnell

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 1985

Rand Paul

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing Kentucky.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Kentucky over time, colored by their political party.

US Representatives from Kentucky

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Kentucky have changed over time starting in 2008.

Diversity

Kentucky is home to a population of 4.47M people, from which 97.8% are citizens. As of 2018, 3.74% of Kentucky residents were born outside of the country (167k people).

In 2018, there were 10.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.78M people) in Kentucky than any other race or ethnicity. There were 350k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 99k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common foreign languages spoken in Kentucky are Spanish (116,714 speakers), German (12,723 speakers), and Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (8,830 speakers).

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Kentucky

White (Non-Hispanic)
3.78M ± 2.08k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
350k ± 6.48k
White (Hispanic)
99k ± 6.21k

3.61%

Hispanic Population

162k people

3.61% of the people in Kentucky are hispanic (162k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Kentucky as a share of the total population.

Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

Spanish
116,714 speakers (2.78%)
German
12,723 speakers (0.303%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
8,830 speakers (0.21%)

5.64% of Kentucky citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.9%. In 2018, the most common non-English language spoken in Kentucky was Spanish. 2.78% of the overall population of Kentucky are native Spanish speakers. 0.303% speak German and 0.21% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

3.74%

2018 Foreign-Born Population

167k people

3.61%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

161k people

As of 2018, 3.74% of Kentucky residents (167k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2017, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Kentucky was 3.61%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Kentucky compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Age by Nativity

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 1.2

In 2018, the median age of all people in Kentucky was 39.1. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 39, were generally older than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 39. But people in Kentucky are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Kentucky residents was 39.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
27,559 ± 4,063 people
Cuba
11,069 ± 2,580 people
China
9,810 ± 2,429 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kentucky was Mexico, the natal country of 27,559 Kentucky residents, followed by Cuba with 11,069 and China with 9,810.

Citizenship

97.8%

2018 Citizenship

97.8%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 97.8% of Kentucky residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Kentucky was 97.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Kentucky compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
88,002 ± 3,279
Gulf War (2001-)
52,350 ± 4,293
Gulf War (1990s)
40,815 ± 3,609

Kentucky has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.68 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

Median household income in Kentucky is $50,247. In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Kentucky was Oldham County, KY with a value of $102,033, followed by Boone County, KY and Kenton County, KY, with respective values of $77,429 and $64,441.

Males in Kentucky have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $44,811. The income inequality in Kentucky (measured using the Gini index) is 0.454, which is lower than than the national average.

The economy of Kentucky employs 1.92M people. The largest industries in Kentucky are Restaurants & Food Services (128,623 people), Elementary & secondary schools (125,288 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (106,330 people), and the highest paying industries are Clay building material & refractories manufacturing ($140,447), Rail transportation ($106,040), and Commercial, industrial & other intangible assets rental & leasing ($105,354).

Wages

Median Household Income

$50,247

2018 value

± $567

3.87%

1 Year Growth

± 1.66%

Households in Kentucky have a median annual income of $50,247, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $48,375 in 2017, which represents a 3.87% annual growth.

The following chart shows how the median household income in Kentucky compares to that of its neighboring and parent geographies.

Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$58,924

Average Male Salary in Kentucky

± $1,584

$44,811

Average Female Salary in Kentucky

± $1,175

In 2018, full-time male employees in Kentucky made 1.31 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Kentucky by number of full-time employees.

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity in Kentucky

Asian
$51,531 ± $9,168
White
$46,110 ± $966
Two or More Races
$40,496 ± $7,177

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Kentucky workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.12 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity in Kentucky.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Kentucky by number of full-time employees.

Wage Distribution

0.454

2018 Wage GINI in Kentucky

0.459

2017 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2018, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.454 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.02% decline from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kentucky in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Kentucky across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Kentucky was Oldham County, KY with a value of $102,033, followed by Boone County, KY and Kenton County, KY, with respective values of $77,429 and $64,441.

The following map shows all of the counties in Kentucky colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

17.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Kentucky (772k out of 4.3M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

White
623,130 ± 5,611
Black
97,178 ± 2,338
Hispanic
44,053 ± 1,524

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Kentucky is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

Occupations

Employment by Occupations

1.92M

2018 Value

1.19%

1 Year growth

± 1.19%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Kentucky grew at a rate of 1.19%, from 1.89M employees to 1.92M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Kentucky, are Elementary & middle school teachers (50,678 people), Registered nurses (50,241 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (49,227 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Kentucky.

Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Kentucky, by number of employees, are Elementary & middle school teachers (50,678 people), Registered nurses (50,241 people), and Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (49,227 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Kentucky has an unusually high number of residents working as Mining machine operators (7.27 times higher than expected), School bus monitors (5.42 times), and Tax examiners & collectors, & revenue agents (3.25 times).

Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Kentucky, by average salary, are Surgeons ($288,439), Physicians ($244,260), and Dentists ($235,548).

Industries

Employment by Industries

1.92M

2018 Value

1.19%

1 Year growth

± 1.19%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Kentucky grew at a rate of 1.19%, from 1.89M employees to 1.92M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Kentucky, are Restaurants & Food Services (128,623 people), Elementary & secondary schools (125,288 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (106,330 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Kentucky, though some of these residents may live in Kentucky and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Most Common

The most common industries in Kentucky, by number of employees, are Restaurants & Food Services (128,623 people), Elementary & secondary schools (125,288 people), and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (106,330 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Kentucky has an unusually high number of Coal mining (11.9 times higher than expected), Household appliance manufacturing (8.53 times), and Aluminum production & processing (4.66 times) industries.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Kentucky, by average salary, are Clay building material & refractories manufacturing ($140,447), Rail transportation ($106,040), and Commercial, industrial & other intangible assets rental & leasing ($105,354).

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Kentucky to other states, or from other states to Kentucky.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2015, the top outbound Kentucky product (by dollars) was Motorized vehicles with $71.4B, followed by Base metals ($17.1B) and Gasoline ($17.1B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Kentucky products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Kentucky.

$282B

2015 Value in Kentucky

$398B

Projected 2045 Value in Kentucky

41.4% growth

In 2015, total outbound Kentucky trade was $282B. This is expected to increase 41.4% to $398B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Kentucky trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Kentucky to other states, or from other states to Kentucky.

Most Common Trade Partners

Ohio
$22.9B
Indiana
$19.1B
Tennessee
$16.7B

In 2015, the top outbound Kentucky domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Ohio with $22.9B, followed by Indiana with $19.1B and Tennessee and $16.7B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Kentucky shares with each state (excluding itself).

Education

In 2017, universities in Kentucky awarded 77,664 degrees. The student population of Kentucky is skewed towards women, with 113,722 male students and 151,300 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Kentucky are White (63,168 and 83.5%), followed by Black or African American (5,434 and 7.18%), Hispanic or Latino (2,097 and 2.77%), and Unknown (1,805 and 2.39%).

The largest universities in Kentucky by number of degrees awarded are University of Kentucky (7,232 and 9.31%), University of Louisville (5,172 and 6.66%), and Western Kentucky University (4,364 and 5.62%).

The most popular majors in Kentucky are Liberal Arts & Sciences (5,374 and 6.92%), General Business Administration & Management (3,917 and 5.04%), and Registered Nursing (3,550 and 4.57%).

The median tuition costs in Kentucky are $24,000 for private four year colleges, and $9,178 and $20,952 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
1,850 degree-majorss awarded
General Psychology
1,270 degree-majorss awarded
General Biological Sciences
960 degree-majorss awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Kentucky was Registered Nursing with 1,850 degree-majorss awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Kentucky according to their major.

Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Kentucky
7,232 degrees awarded
University of Louisville
5,172 degrees awarded
Western Kentucky University
4,364 degrees awarded

$9,178

Median In-State Public

$24,000

Median Private

In 2017, the Kentucky institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Kentucky with 7,232 degrees awarded.

Student Gender for Common Institutions

35,427

Degrees Awarded to Men

42,237

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 35,427 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Kentucky, which is 0.839 times less than the 42,237 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Kentucky by degrees awarded.

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
63,168 degrees awarded
Black or African American
5,434 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
2,097 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Kentucky were to White students. These 63,168 degrees mean that there were 11.6 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 5,434 degrees awarded.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Kentucky was $148,100 in 2018, which is 0.645 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $141,000 to $148,100, a 5.04% increase. The homeownership rate in Kentucky is 67.4%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Kentucky have an average commute time of 22.5 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Kentucky is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$148,100

2018 Median

± $1,710

$141,000

2017 Median

± $1,619

In 2018, the median property value in Kentucky grew to to $148,100 from the previous year's value of $141,000.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Kentucky compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Kentucky the largest share of households have a property value in the $150k - $175k range.

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$50,247

Median Household Income

± $567

1.73M

Number of Households

± 19,840

In 2018, the median household income of the 1.73M households in Kentucky grew to $50,247 from the previous year's value of $48,375.

The following chart displays the households in Kentucky distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Property Taxes

< $800

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Kentucky distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Kentucky the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

Rent vs Own

67.4%

2018 Homeownership

66.5%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 67.4% of the housing units in Kentucky were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 66.5%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Kentucky compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Commute Time

22.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Kentucky have a shorter commute time (22.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.05% of the workforce in Kentucky have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Kentucky compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

Drove Alone
82.4%
Carpooled
9.36%
Worked At Home
4.06%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Kentucky was Drove Alone (82.4%), followed by those who Carpooled (9.36%) and those who Worked At Home (4.06%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Kentucky distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Kentucky have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

Health

94.6% of the population of Kentucky has health coverage, with 45.3% on employee plans, 23.5% on Medicaid, 12.3% on Medicare, 11.4% on non-group plans, and 2.08% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Kentucky was $8,004 in 2014. This is a 6.11% increase from the previous year ($7,543).

Primary care physicians in Kentucky see 1507 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.803% increase from the previous year (1495 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1561 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 525 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Harlan County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (18%). Additionally, Leslie County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (43.3%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,507 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Kentucky

Primary care physicians in Kentucky see an average of 1,507 patients per year. This represents a 0.803% increase from the previous year (1,495 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Kentucky in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

West Virginia
8.26% of the population affected
Arkansas
8.13% of the population affected
New Hampshire
7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

Mississippi
19.2% of adults
Texas
17.9% of adults
Louisiana
17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

$8,004

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care in Kentucky

$4,551

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$7,016

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$10,368

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Kentucky (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 6.11%, from $7,543 to $8,004.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

Health Care Coverage

5.38%

Uninsured

45.3%

Employer Coverage

23.5%

Medicaid

12.3%

Medicare

11.4%

Non-Group

2.08%

Military or VA

Between N/A and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Kentucky N/A by N/A from N/A% to 5.38%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Kentucky changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.