Kentucky
120 counties, 555 cities and towns, and 779 ZIP codes.
Population
4,534,824
Land area
39,485sq mi
People per sq mi
115
Cities and towns
555
Largest cities in Kentucky
Kentucky at a glance
- Households here earn a median of $63,726 a year, 21% less than the U.S. figure of $80,734.
- A typical owner-occupied home is valued at $205,600 (38% below the U.S.) and median rent is $967 a month.
- The biggest population centers are Louisville (631,818), Lexington-Fayette (323,725) and Bowling Green (75,388).
Local data for Kentucky
Counts from official public data
- Hospitals102
- Emergency Rooms93
- Nursing Homes267
- Schools1,820
- Colleges87
- Libraries207
- Banks1,478
- Post Offices750
- Parks1,639
- Grocery Stores1,893
- Restaurants12,182
- Affordable Housing488
- Home Health Agencies88
- Hospice Care23
- Dialysis Centers121
- Rehab & Long-Term Care Hospitals29
- Community Health Centers647
- Mental Health & Addiction Treatment594
- National Cemeteries8
- Private Schools270
- Community Colleges & Trade Schools49
- Superfund Sites20
- Toxic Release Facilities405
- Historic Places2,539
Housing and community stats
Kentucky, American Community Survey 2020-2024
Median household income
$63,726
Poverty rate
16.1%
Median home value
$205,600
Prices +4.3% in a year
Median rent
$967/mo
Homeownership
68.3%
Bachelor's or higher
27.6%
Median age
39.1
Average commute
24.0 min
Largest reported origins and ancestries: German Americans (576,331), Irish Americans (497,366), Mexican Americans (111,299).
Economy and federal money
Jobs, income, federal spending and pandemic loans
Unemployment rate
4.7%
Sep 2026, +0.2 pts in a year
Average annual pay
$62,521
1,990,460 jobs, 2025
Income per person
$58,256
BEA, 2024
Federal spending
$167B
FY 2026, $37,050 per person
PPP loans
$7.8B
128,431 loans, 967,593 jobs reported
Campaign donations
$31.58M
Itemized, 2026 cycle
Environment and hazard risk
Kentucky, from FEMA, NOAA and EPA
High-risk counties
1
of 120 rated by FEMA
Storm events since 1996
51,321
489 deaths
Flood insurance policies
14,136
$521M paid since 1978
Superfund sites
20
405 toxic release facilities
Hazards, floods and storm historyCheck a flood zone2,539 historic places
Largest cities in Kentucky
| Name | Population | Land area (sq mi) |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville | 631,818 | 263 |
| Lexington-Fayette | 323,725 | 283.9 |
| Bowling Green | 75,388 | 42 |
| Owensboro | 60,302 | 21.3 |
| Covington | 41,110 | 13.2 |
| Georgetown | 39,117 | 17.7 |
| Richmond | 37,111 | 22 |
| Florence | 32,803 | 11.2 |
| Elizabethtown | 32,576 | 28 |
| Nicholasville | 32,197 | 15.2 |
| Hopkinsville | 30,906 | 32.8 |
| Independence | 29,392 | 17.7 |
| Jeffersontown | 29,199 | 10.7 |
| Frankfort | 28,503 | 14.8 |
| Henderson | 27,852 | 16.9 |
| Paducah | 26,845 | 20.3 |
| Radcliff | 22,864 | 13.4 |
| Ashland | 21,295 | 10.7 |
| Erlanger | 19,875 | 8.4 |
| Madisonville | 19,515 | 17.9 |
| Winchester | 19,213 | 9.2 |
| Mount Washington | 18,480 | 9.6 |
| Murray | 18,080 | 11.7 |
| Burlington | 18,008 | 8.8 |
| Shelbyville | 17,668 | 10 |
Counties, cities and towns in Kentucky
Population shown. Largest 400 of 555 cities and towns listed
- Jefferson County783,022
- Fayette County323,725
- Kenton County171,288
- Warren County140,918
- Boone County139,841
- Hardin County111,942
- Daviess County103,648
- Madison County95,769
- Campbell County93,426
- Bullitt County84,027
- Christian County72,069
- Oldham County69,257
- McCracken County67,564
- Pulaski County65,897
- Laurel County62,983
- Scott County59,536
- Pike County56,727
- Jessamine County54,588
- Franklin County51,842
- Shelby County49,096
- Boyd County47,911
- Nelson County47,606
- Hopkins County45,119
- Barren County44,938
- Henderson County44,280
- Calloway County38,224
- Clark County37,192
- Whitley County36,920
- Graves County36,630
- Greenup County35,501
- Floyd County35,224
- Marshall County31,743
- Boyle County30,941
- Muhlenberg County30,591
- Meade County30,158
- Knox County29,865
- Montgomery County28,395
- Logan County27,986
- Perry County27,499
- Woodford County27,279
- Grayson County26,707
- Taylor County26,397
- Carter County26,341
- Harlan County25,772
- Grant County25,418
- Rowan County24,578
- Lincoln County24,504
- Anderson County24,353
- Ohio County23,735
- Bell County23,509
- Mercer County23,028
- Johnson County22,334
- Allen County21,293
- Breckinridge County20,881
- Letcher County20,808
- Bourbon County20,240
- Spencer County20,193
- Simpson County19,972
- Clay County19,921
- Marion County19,749
- Hart County19,603
- Wayne County19,602
- Harrison County19,140
- Adair County19,089
- Russell County18,221
- Garrard County17,568
- Mason County16,956
- McCreary County16,867
- Rockcastle County16,163
- Lawrence County16,077
- Casey County15,914
- Henry County15,856
- Fleming County15,323
- Larue County15,107
- Pendleton County14,723
- Trigg County14,315
- Morgan County14,053
- Estill County14,035
- Knott County13,830
- Breathitt County13,276
- Union County13,260
- Jackson County13,086
- Powell County13,038
- Lewis County12,965
- Bath County12,851
- Webster County12,842
- Caldwell County12,618
- Todd County12,469
- Butler County12,393
- Edmonson County12,355
- Washington County12,140
- Green County11,369
- Magoffin County11,348
- Owen County11,330
- Monroe County11,269
- Martin County11,027
- Carroll County10,954
- Metcalfe County10,425
- Leslie County10,079
- Clinton County9,202
- McLean County9,114
- Hancock County9,034
- Crittenden County8,979
- Livingston County8,903
- Lyon County8,900
- Gallatin County8,769
- Trimble County8,550
- Bracken County8,444
- Nicholas County7,708
- Ballard County7,654
- Lee County7,339
- Elliott County7,307
- Wolfe County6,443
- Fulton County6,409
- Menifee County6,230
- Cumberland County5,948
- Carlisle County4,762
- Hickman County4,439
- Owsley County3,971
- Robertson County2,283
Frequently asked questions
- How many counties are in Kentucky?
- Kentucky has 120 counties, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
- What is the largest city in Kentucky?
- Louisville is the largest city in Kentucky, with a population of about 631,818.
- What is the population of Kentucky?
- Kentucky has about 4,534,824 residents, based on the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
- How many ZIP codes are in Kentucky?
- There are 779 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas in Kentucky.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER/Line boundaries, American Community Survey)