Meade County, Kentucky Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Meade 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 Meade County, Kentucky. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Meade County, Kentucky. The estimated population of Meade County, Kentucky is 29,735 people, with a median age of 39.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
29,735
+4.78%
+4.51%
2020
28,379
+0.7%
-
2019
28,182
 -0.51% -
2018
28,326
 -0.44% -
2017
28,452
 - -

Population of Meade 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
89%
89.5%
 -0.56%
Black/African American
3.5%
3.2%
 +9.38%
Native
0.1%
0.8%
 -87.50%
Hispanic
3.9%
3.8%
 +2.63%
Asian
0.8%
0.6%
 +33.33%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.3%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.4%
2.2%
 +9.09%
Other
0.1%
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 Meade 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 39 +0.26% 38.7 +1.31% 39.6 -1.49%
2020 38.9 +0.78% 38.2 -0.26% 40.2 +2.81%
2019 38.6 +0.26% 38.3 +0.52% 39.1 +0.51%
2018 38.5 +1.85% 38.1 +1.6% 38.9 +1.57%
2017 37.8 - 37.5 - 38.3 -

The median age of Meade 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 1,932 -1.91% 1,690 +11.18% 1,892 1,873
10 to 19 1,992 -3.25% 1,930 -14.39% 1,911 1,664
20 to 29 1,852 -1.14% 1,731 +1.86% 1,830 1,763
30 to 39 1,988 +11.41% 1,825 +15.09% 2,219 2,109
40 to 49 1,836 +8.97% 1,982 0.21% 1,996 1,979
50 to 59 2,334 -16.15% 2,207 -0.37% 1,975 2,194
60 to 69 1,467 +24.19% 1,416 +14.27% 1,831 1,619
70+ 1,076 +27.17% 1,194 +23.04% 1,389 1,491

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Meade County, Kentucky is $63,944.00.

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 Meade County.

  • Under 25
    $37,799.00
  • 25 to 44
    $77,039.00
  • 45 to 64
    $75,043.00
  • 65 and over
    $47,181.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Meade 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 Meade County, Kentucky is currently $81,630.00.

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.

3.41% of households in Meade 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 Meade County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    16.14%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    20.88%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    20.59%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    13.95%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    16.73%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    8.31%
  • $200,000 or more
    3.41%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Meade County is $30,625.00.

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

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Meade 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 Meade 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
    10.75%
  • Bachelor's degree
    17.07%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    14.59%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    54.50%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.10%

Employment

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

The total population of Meade County over the age of 16 is 23,869.

Of those people, a total of 60.50% 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 Meade County is 54.60%.

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 1,474 43.60% 25.50%
20 to 24 years 1,751 81.00% 18.30%
25 to 29 years 1,842 81.20% 1.50%
30 to 34 years 2,143 76.10% 2.10%
35 to 44 years 4,183 69.90% 4.00%
45 to 54 years 4,039 81.60% 3.10%
55 to 59 years 2,107 63.60% 0.60%
60 to 64 years 2,069 45.40% 3.10%
65 to 74 years 2,736 26.40% 1.50%
75 years and over 1,525 2.90% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Meade 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 21,976 60.40% 5.10%
Black or African American 850 67.60% 3.60%
American Indian and Alaska Native 36 27.80% 0.00%
Asian 198 73.70% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 5 20.00% 100.00%
Other 83 48.20% 0.00%
Two or more races 721 57.10% 7.80%
Hispanic or Latino 788 60.00% 6.60%
Not Hispanic or Latino 21,563 60.50% 5.10%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Meade 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 Meade County is 13,044, with median earnings of $40,930.00.

Women in Meade County, Kentucky earning approximately 57.50% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 13,044 $40,930.00
Male 6,906 $49,713.00
Female 6,138 $28,566.00

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 1,208 $54,107.00
Business and Financial 689 $63,853.00
Computer and Mathematical 265 $78,050.00
Architecture and Engineering 93 $54,760.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 19 $64,479.00
Community and Social Service 87 $33,661.00
Legal 247 $45,846.00
Educational and Library 621 $26,506.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 153 $64,141.00
Healthcare Practitioners 936 $53,304.00
Healthcare Support 291 $26,615.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 210 $38,472.00
Law Enforcement 57 $36,103.00
Food Preparation and Serving 859 $13,692.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 328 $15,909.00
Personal Care and Service 234 $30,088.00
Sales 1,111 $23,164.00
Office and Administrative Support 1,165 $32,555.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 32 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 845 $62,522.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 800 $47,000.00
Production 1,275 $55,625.00
Transportation and Material Moving 750 $42,756.00

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 887 $49,805.00 321 $63,939.00
Business and Financial 354 $63,293.00 335 $97,588.00
Computer and Mathematical 204 $85,357.00 61 $40,625.00
Architecture and Engineering 72 $57,000.00 21 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 3 $0.00 16 $0.00
Community and Social Service 38 $11,719.00 49 $34,554.00
Legal 22 $110,536.00 225 $45,723.00
Educational and Library 79 $44,851.00 542 $20,595.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 56 $43,333.00 97 $72,981.00
Healthcare Practitioners 340 $53,713.00 596 $50,833.00
Healthcare Support 21 $0.00 270 $26,458.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 140 $53,125.00 70 $17,134.00
Law Enforcement 57 $36,103.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 272 $5,600.00 587 $14,889.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 149 $11,319.00 179 $16,875.00
Personal Care and Service 39 $31,250.00 195 $27,396.00
Sales 370 $30,789.00 741 $21,463.00
Office and Administrative Support 225 $41,921.00 940 $26,667.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 32 $0.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 794 $62,807.00 51 $24,702.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 800 $47,000.00 0 $0.00
Production 778 $70,556.00 497 $21,967.00
Transportation and Material Moving 613 $44,608.00 137 $40,026.00

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 10,331 households in Meade County, with an average household size of 2.86 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 7,376 families in Meade County with an average family size of 3.34 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 6,011 443 922 2,955
Average Household Size 3.45 3.41 3.58 1.35
Total Families 6,011 443 922 0
Average Household Size 3.41 3.07 2.97 0

Poverty

Of the 7,376 families in Meade County, 11.00% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Meade 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 11,967 housing units in Meade County, Kentucky.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 10,331 86.33%
Vacant 1,636 13.67%

18.93% of the total 11,967 housing units in Meade County are rental units. This is approximately 2,265 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 7,716 are occupied by the owner - or 64.48% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Meade County is $859.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Meade 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
    350
  • Less than $500
    208
  • $500 to $999
    1,333
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    521
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    203
  • $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 Meade County is $164,100.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    683
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,148
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,575
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1,756
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    1,743
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    646
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    129
  • $1,000,000 or more
    36

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    482
  • 1940 to 1949
    428
  • 1950 to 1959
    776
  • 1960 to 1969
    843
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,831
  • 1980 to 1989
    1,489
  • 1990 to 1999
    2,516
  • 2000 to 2009
    2,221
  • 2010 to 2013
    1,355
  • 2014 or later
    26

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 Meade County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    413
  • 1 vehicle available
    2,519
  • 2 vehicles available
    4,289
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    3,110

Commuting to Work

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

32.6 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Meade 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
    335
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    992
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    1,371
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    1,609
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    1,519
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    464
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    1,328
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    675
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    399
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    2,160
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    1,520
  • 90 or more minutes
    288

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Meade 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 Meade County, Kentucky

We have data for 6 places in Meade County, Kentucky. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.