Metcalfe County, Kentucky

County in KY, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

10,425

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 42, half older

Diversity Index

12.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.3%

foreign-born population

98.7%Native

1.3% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Metcalfe County is a county in Kentucky, United States.

Location

County in KY, US

Co-ordinates

DEC36.992430° N, 85.633456° W

DMS36° 59′ 32.75″ N, 85° 38′ 00.44″ W

Population Density & area

35.99/sq mi (13.9/km²)

Total Area

291.2 sq mi (754.2 km²)

Land Area

289.7 sq mi (750.2 km²) · 99.47%

Water Area

1.5 sq mi (4 km²) · 0.53%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.8% male

Male 48.8%

Female 51.2%

males per 100 females

Metcalfe County 95.2

Kentucky 98.2

United States 98

Nativity

1.3%

foreign-born population

98.7%Native

1.3% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Metcalfe County 1.3%

Kentucky 4.7%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 42, half older

Metcalfe County

Kentucky

39.1

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

74.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Metcalfe County 74.4

Kentucky 66.4

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Metcalfe County	Kentucky	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	23.6%	22.6%	22%
Working age (18-64)	57.3%	60.1%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	19.1%	17.3%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	74.4	66.4	64.4
Child dependency ratio	41.1	37.6	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	33.3	28.8	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

93.5%

Black

2.5%

Asian

Hispanic

2.8%

Other

1.2%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

12.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Metcalfe County 12.4%

Kentucky 32.6%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Metcalfe County population

	Metcalfe County	Kentucky	United States
Hispanic or Latino	2.8%	5%	19.3%
Mexican	1.6%	2.5%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.7%	0.5%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.8%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.5%	1.3%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97.2%	95%	80.7%
One race	96%	91.1%	76.4%
White	93.5%	81.5%	57.4%
Black or African American	2.5%	7.6%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	0%	1.6%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0.1%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0%	0.3%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	1.2%	3.9%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

68.2% family

Family 68.2%

Non family 31.8%

% family households

Metcalfe County 68.2%

Kentucky 63.9%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.52

persons per household

Metcalfe County

2.52

Kentucky

2.43

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Metcalfe County population

	Metcalfe County	Kentucky	United States
Total households	4,100	1,814,469	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.52	2.43	2.53
Family households	2,797	1,159,005	82,990,528
Average family size	3.11	3.03	3.14
Married couple family	2,220	844,820	60,637,388
Other families	577	314,185	22,353,140
Male householder	178	95,673	6,572,819
Female householder	399	218,512	15,780,321
Non-family households	1,303	655,464	46,236,968
One-person households	1,135	540,419	37,140,836
Male householder	428	247,145	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	133	79,059	5,225,110
Female householder	707	293,274	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	358	151,346	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	168	115,045	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

4,735

housing units

Metcalfe County 4,735

Kentucky 2,023,116

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

86.6% occupied

Occupied 86.6%

Vacant 13.4%

vacancy rate

Metcalfe County 13.4%

Kentucky 10.3%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

65.6%

Single family houses

65.6%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

5.3%

Mobile homes

29%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.2%

Median Year Built

1986

Half of houses were built before 1986, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

4.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

17.4%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

52.8%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

25.5%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Metcalfe County	Kentucky	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.4	5.7	5.5
1–3 rooms	7.9%	10.4%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	60.3%	54.2%	51.6%
7+ rooms	31.8%	35.4%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.2%	1.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	7.5%	8.2%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	25.1%	25.1%	25%
3 bedrooms	52.5%	45.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	13.8%	19.7%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1986	1983	1981
Total housing units	4,735	2,023,116	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

77.7% owners

Renter-occupied 22.3%

Owner-occupied 77.7%

homeownership rate

Metcalfe County 77.7%

Kentucky 68.3%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.41

Owner-occupied

2.88

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Metcalfe County 2.41

Kentucky 2.53

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Metcalfe County	Kentucky	United States
Total occupied units	4,100	1,814,469	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	23.4%	23.8%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	30.2%	38.4%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	17.1%	16.7%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	29.3%	21.1%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.7%	98%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	2.1%	1.4%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.2%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7.8%	6.8%	8.4%
1 vehicle	27.3%	32.4%	33.1%
2 vehicles	33.7%	37.1%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	31.2%	23.7%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	38.3%	41.5%	51.4%
Electricity	51.1%	54.9%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.5%	0.7%	3.9%
All other fuels	10.1%	2.3%	2%
No fuel used	0.1%	0.4%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.1%	0.5%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.3%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1%	1.1%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$110,200

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Metcalfe County

$110,200

Kentucky

$205,600

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

15.8%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

15.8%

Owners without a mortgage

10.3%

Renters

43.8%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Metcalfe County	Kentucky	United States
Property value
Median Value	$110,200	$205,600	$332,700
Under $100,000	43.3%	20.9%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	36.4%	27.6%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	12.2%	23.1%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	5.7%	20.1%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	1.5%	7.1%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.9%	1.2%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	38.5%	56.1%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	61.5%	43.9%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,066	$1,433	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$368	$469	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$582	$967	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

13%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Metcalfe County 13%

Kentucky 27.6%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

13.4%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Metcalfe County 13.4%

Kentucky 11.1%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

2,205

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

4.1%

K–12

85.5%

College / Undergraduate

8.9%

Graduate / Professional

1.5%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

13.1%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Metcalfe County

13.1%

Kentucky

36%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Metcalfe County	Kentucky	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	2,205	1,039,376	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	4.1%	5.5%	5.7%
K–12	85.5%	70.6%	67.6%
Kindergarten	5.3%	5.2%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	30.7%	21.4%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	20%	21.9%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	29.6%	22.2%	21.7%
College or graduate school	10.3%	23.8%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	8.9%	18.9%	21%
Graduate, professional school	1.5%	5%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	13.1%	36%	40.9%
School type
Public school	89.5%	81.9%	82%
Private school	10.5%	18.1%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

7,211

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

6.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

HS graduate

45.5%

Some college no degree

16.2%

Associates degree

12%

Bachelors degree

6.8%

Graduate or professional degree

6.1%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

61.4% · 38.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

40.2% · 59.8%

HS graduate

53.6% · 46.4%

Some college no degree

38.4% · 61.6%

Associates degree

51.2% · 48.8%

Bachelors degree

44.3% · 55.7%

Graduate or professional degree

31.4% · 68.6%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Metcalfe County	Kentucky	United States
Population (25+)	7,211	3,098,758	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	6.4%	4.3%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	7%	6.8%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	45.5%	32.6%	26%
Some college, no degree	16.2%	19.7%	19.1%
Associate's degree	12%	9%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13%	27.6%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	6.8%	16.2%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	6.1%	11.3%	14.1%
High School or higher	86.7%	88.9%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$39,596

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$36,646

Some college or associates

$43,685

Bachelors degree

$49,083

Graduate or professional degree

$66,897

Poverty Rate

12.4%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

25.8%

HS graduate

23.3%

Some college or associates

18%

Bachelors degree or higher

12.4%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Metcalfe County	Kentucky	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$39,596	$46,524	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$—	$29,659	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$36,646	$37,177	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$43,685	$43,534	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$49,083	$60,526	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$66,897	$70,952	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	25.8%	33.5%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	23.3%	17%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	18%	11.7%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.4%	4.7%	4.5%

Insights for Metcalfe County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.