Caldwell County, Kentucky Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Caldwell County, Kentucky, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Caldwell County, Kentucky. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Caldwell County, Kentucky. The estimated population of Caldwell County, Kentucky is 12,641 people, with a median age of 43.

We can look at the total population in Caldwell County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
12,641
 -0.3% -0.83%
2020
12,679
 -0.18% -
2019
12,702
 -0.2% -
2018
12,727
 -0.16% -
2017
12,747
 - -

Population of Caldwell County, Kentucky by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
90.6%
91.1%
 -0.55%
Black/African American
6.5%
6.8%
 -4.41%
Native
0%
0%
 0.00%
Hispanic
1.4%
1.3%
 +7.69%
Asian
0%
0%
 0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.5%
0.8%
 +87.50%
Other
0%
0%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Caldwell County, Kentucky by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 43 +0.23% 41.6 +2.97% 44.9 -1.97%
2020 42.9 -2.5% 40.4 +1.51% 45.8 -0.43%
2019 44 +1.15% 39.8 -2.21% 46 +2.91%
2018 43.5 +2.11% 40.7 -3.1% 44.7 +3.23%
2017 42.6 - 42 - 43.3 -

The median age of Caldwell County, Kentucky gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 788 +1.75% 673 +15.68% 796 753
10 to 19 826 0.050000000000002% 756 +17.25% 811 825
20 to 29 633 +11.03% 725 -4.07% 692 695
30 to 39 627 -5.93% 947 -37.83% 576 625
40 to 49 767 +2.83% 847 -11.62% 783 744
50 to 59 957 -21.53% 1,053 -12.13% 758 928
60 to 69 737 +21.52% 790 +9.79% 907 862
70+ 638 +24.33% 983 +10.55% 806 1,080

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Caldwell County, Kentucky is $48,280.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Caldwell County.

  • Under 25
    $27,139.00
  • 25 to 44
    $66,993.00
  • 45 to 64
    $60,066.00
  • 65 and over
    $36,655.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Caldwell County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Caldwell County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Caldwell County, Kentucky is currently $70,179.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

3.75% of households in Caldwell County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Caldwell County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    25.63%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    26.53%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    13.22%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    14.64%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    11.79%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    4.45%
  • $200,000 or more
    3.75%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Caldwell County is $29,902.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Caldwell County by the total population of Caldwell County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Caldwell County, Kentucky, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Caldwell County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    11.85%
  • Bachelor's degree
    15.67%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    15.77%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    55.16%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.56%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Caldwell County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Caldwell County over the age of 16 is 10,120.

Of those people, a total of 57.00% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Caldwell County is 54.10%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 664 41.40% 10.20%
20 to 24 years 586 81.20% 0.40%
25 to 29 years 801 80.40% 6.40%
30 to 34 years 532 84.00% 0.00%
35 to 44 years 1,372 85.00% 9.30%
45 to 54 years 1,630 79.30% 3.50%
55 to 59 years 880 62.80% 5.20%
60 to 64 years 991 50.20% 1.60%
65 to 74 years 1,498 21.20% 9.80%
75 years and over 1,166 8.70% 2.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Caldwell County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 9,437 58.40% 5.00%
Black or African American 627 41.50% 6.20%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 0 0.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 0 0.00% 0.00%
Two or more races 56 5.40% 0.00%
Hispanic or Latino 182 80.80% 0.00%
Not Hispanic or Latino 9,276 57.80% 5.20%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Caldwell County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Caldwell County is 5,476, with median earnings of $37,529.00.

Women in Caldwell County, Kentucky earning approximately 75.00% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 5,476 $37,529.00
Male 2,807 $41,438.00
Female 2,669 $31,081.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 460 $89,681.00
Business and Financial 200 $29,588.00
Computer and Mathematical 73 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 66 $65,798.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 57 $0.00
Community and Social Service 108 $57,805.00
Legal 19 $0.00
Educational and Library 262 $30,288.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 473 $49,114.00
Healthcare Support 161 $25,797.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 58 $41,274.00
Law Enforcement 101 $43,565.00
Food Preparation and Serving 467 $11,008.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 172 $23,529.00
Personal Care and Service 13 $11,607.00
Sales 466 $32,500.00
Office and Administrative Support 552 $34,025.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 56 $25,682.00
Construction and Extraction 262 $58,984.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 263 $51,359.00
Production 766 $35,038.00
Transportation and Material Moving 173 $37,313.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 324 $95,139.00 136 $74,773.00
Business and Financial 13 $0.00 187 $29,729.00
Computer and Mathematical 46 $0.00 27 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 66 $65,798.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 51 $0.00 6 $0.00
Community and Social Service 2 $0.00 106 $57,866.00
Legal 19 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 37 $31,779.00 225 $29,320.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 30 $0.00 443 $49,432.00
Healthcare Support 0 $0.00 161 $25,797.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 56 $0.00 2 $0.00
Law Enforcement 97 $43,750.00 4 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 220 $11,979.00 247 $10,255.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 119 $35,645.00 53 $4,954.00
Personal Care and Service 0 $0.00 13 $11,607.00
Sales 180 $49,464.00 286 $18,207.00
Office and Administrative Support 101 $21,775.00 451 $34,936.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 56 $25,682.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 249 $59,492.00 13 $22,813.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 249 $51,578.00 14 $0.00
Production 480 $35,125.00 286 $33,750.00
Transportation and Material Moving 173 $37,313.00 0 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 5,259 households in Caldwell County, with an average household size of 2.38 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 3,571 families in Caldwell County with an average family size of 2.88 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 2,654 301 616 1,688
Average Household Size 2.97 2.93 2.77 1.2
Total Families 2,654 301 616 0
Average Household Size 2.97 2.43 2.71 0

Poverty

Of the 3,571 families in Caldwell County, 11.30% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Caldwell County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 6,107 housing units in Caldwell County, Kentucky.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 5,259 86.11%
Vacant 848 13.89%

19.04% of the total 6,107 housing units in Caldwell County are rental units. This is approximately 1,163 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 3,972 are occupied by the owner - or 65.04% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Caldwell County is $635.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Caldwell County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    124
  • Less than $500
    236
  • $500 to $999
    818
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    109
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    0
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Caldwell County is $93,600.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Caldwell County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    943
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,187
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    747
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    434
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    341
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    265
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    36
  • $1,000,000 or more
    19

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Caldwell County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Caldwell County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    670
  • 1940 to 1949
    426
  • 1950 to 1959
    935
  • 1960 to 1969
    622
  • 1970 to 1979
    846
  • 1980 to 1989
    444
  • 1990 to 1999
    953
  • 2000 to 2009
    849
  • 2010 to 2013
    362
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Caldwell County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    533
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,237
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,943
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,546

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Caldwell County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Caldwell County that commute to work in a particular way.

24.4 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Caldwell County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    314
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    617
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    574
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    822
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    703
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    176
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    556
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    29
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    175
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    672
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    286
  • 90 or more minutes
    78

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Caldwell County, Kentucky in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Caldwell County, Kentucky

We have data for 5 places in Caldwell County, Kentucky. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.