Mount Vernon, KY

City in Rockcastle County, KY, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

2,398

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

Median Age

48.2

years ∙ half population younger than 48.2, half older

Diversity Index

16%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.4%

foreign-born population

98.6%Native

1.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Mount Vernon is a city within Rockcastle County, Kentucky, United States.

Location

City in Rockcastle County, KY, US

Co-ordinates

DEC37.357071° N, 84.332869° W

DMS37° 21′ 25.46″ N, 84° 19′ 58.33″ W

Population Density & area

853.4/sq mi (328.9/km²)

Total Area

2.82 sq mi (7.32 km²)

Land Area

2.81 sq mi (7.29 km²) · 99.54%

Water Area

0.01 sq mi (0.03 km²) · 0.46%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

51% male

Male 51%

Female 49%

males per 100 females

Mount Vernon 104.1

Rockcastle County 97.9

Kentucky 98.2

Nativity

1.4%

foreign-born population

98.6%Native

1.4% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Mount Vernon 1.4%

Rockcastle County 0.4%

Kentucky 4.7%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

48.2

years ∙ half population younger than 48.2, half older

Mount Vernon

48.2

Rockcastle County

42.8

Kentucky

39.1

Dependency ratio

70.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Mount Vernon 70.4

Rockcastle County 68.9

Kentucky 66.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Mount Vernon	Rockcastle County	Kentucky
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	19.6%	21.5%	22.6%
Working age (18-64)	58.6%	59.2%	60.1%
Senior (65+)	21.8%	19.3%	17.3%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	70.4	68.9	66.4
Child dependency ratio	33.3	36.4	37.6
Old-age dependency ratio	37.1	32.6	28.8

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

91.5%

Black

0.4%

Asian

0.3%

Hispanic

2.8%

Other

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

16%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Mount Vernon 16%

Rockcastle County 9.1%

Kentucky 32.6%

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 Mount Vernon population

	Mount Vernon	Rockcastle County	Kentucky
Hispanic or Latino	2.8%	1.3%	5%
Mexican	2.8%	0.8%	2.5%
Puerto Rican	0%	0%	0.5%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0%	0.4%	1.3%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97.2%	98.7%	95%
One race	93.4%	96.6%	91.1%
White	91.5%	95.3%	81.5%
Black or African American	0.4%	0.6%	7.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0%	0.1%
Asian	0.3%	0.1%	1.6%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	1%	0.1%	0.1%
Some Other Race	0%	0.4%	0.3%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.8%	2.1%	3.9%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

60.2% family

Family 60.2%

Non family 39.8%

% family households

Mount Vernon 60.2%

Rockcastle County 66.2%

Kentucky 63.9%

Average household size

2.2

persons per household

Mount Vernon

2.2

Rockcastle County

2.42

Kentucky

2.43

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Mount Vernon population

	Mount Vernon	Rockcastle County	Kentucky
Total households	999	6,534	1,814,469
Average houshold size	2.2	2.42	2.43
Family households	601	4,326	1,159,005
Average family size	2.94	2.98	3.03
Married couple family	391	3,346	844,820
Other families	210	980	314,185
Male householder	64	280	95,673
Female householder	146	700	218,512
Non-family households	398	2,208	655,464
One-person households	390	1,971	540,419
Male householder	177	943	247,145
Senior (65+) living alone	44	349	79,059
Female householder	213	1,028	293,274
Senior (65+) living alone	129	639	151,346
Other living arrangements	8	237	115,045

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

1,162

housing units

Mount Vernon 1,162

Rockcastle County 7,391

Kentucky 2,023,116

Occupancy status

86% occupied

Occupied 86%

Vacant 14%

vacancy rate

Mount Vernon 14%

Rockcastle County 11.6%

Kentucky 10.3%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

54.1%

Single family houses

54.1%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

26.2%

Mobile homes

19.7%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1978

Half of houses were built before 1978, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

4.5%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

30.7%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

48.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

16.6%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Mount Vernon	Rockcastle County	Kentucky
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.1	5.7	5.7
1–3 rooms	14.9%	8.9%	10.4%
4–6 rooms	64.2%	60.3%	54.2%
7+ rooms	20.8%	30.9%	35.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.8%	1.4%	1.7%
1 bedroom	13%	5.9%	8.2%
2 bedrooms	30.2%	20.6%	25.1%
3 bedrooms	46%	57%	45.2%
4+ bedrooms	9%	15.1%	19.7%
At a glance
Median year built	1978	1990	1983
Total housing units	1,162	7,391	2,023,116

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

50.5% owners

Renter-occupied 49.5%

Owner-occupied 50.5%

homeownership rate

Mount Vernon 50.5%

Rockcastle County 74.3%

Kentucky 68.3%

Average household size

2.02

Owner-occupied

2.37

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Mount Vernon 2.02

Rockcastle County 2.51

Kentucky 2.53

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Mount Vernon	Rockcastle County	Kentucky
Total occupied units	999	6,534	1,814,469
Year moved in
2020 or later	26.7%	18.9%	23.8%
2010 to 2019	40.5%	33.2%	38.4%
2000 to 2009	11.4%	20.3%	16.7%
1999 or earlier	21.3%	27.7%	21.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.8%	98.1%	98%
1.01 to 1.50	2.2%	1.5%	1.4%
1.51 or more	0%	0.4%	0.6%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	15%	9.3%	6.8%
1 vehicle	31.8%	25.4%	32.4%
2 vehicles	34.2%	33.5%	37.1%
3 or more vehicles	18.9%	31.8%	23.7%
House heating fuel used
Gas	4.4%	10.3%	41.5%
Electricity	91.5%	77.3%	54.9%
Solar	0%	0.2%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	1.3%	2.3%	0.7%
All other fuels	2.3%	10%	2.3%
No fuel used	0.5%	0.1%	0.4%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	1.4%	0.5%	0.5%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.2%	1%	0.8%
No telephone service available	2.4%	1.4%	1.1%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$111,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Mount Vernon

$111,400

Rockcastle County

$123,600

Kentucky

$205,600

Housing Cost Burden

6.9%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

6.9%

Owners without a mortgage

8.3%

Renters

44.7%

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

	Mount Vernon	Rockcastle County	Kentucky
Property value
Median Value	$111,400	$123,600	$205,600
Under $100,000	46%	41%	20.9%
$100,000 - $200,000	48.6%	32%	27.6%
$200,000 - $300,000	3.6%	15.8%	23.1%
$300,000 - $500,000	1.8%	7.4%	20.1%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	0%	3.4%	7.1%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	0.5%	1.2%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	46.2%	37%	56.1%
Without a mortgage	53.8%	63%	43.9%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$904	$1,015	$1,433
Without a mortgage	$242	$339	$469
Gross rent
Median rent	$620	$676	$967

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

12%

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

Mount Vernon 12%

Rockcastle County 13.7%

Kentucky 27.6%

Adults without a high school diploma

22.4%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Mount Vernon 22.4%

Rockcastle County 16.7%

Kentucky 11.1%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

235

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

1.3%

K–12

90.2%

College / Undergraduate

5.1%

Graduate / Professional

3.4%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

3.3%

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

Mount Vernon

3.3%

Rockcastle County

16.8%

Kentucky

36%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Mount Vernon	Rockcastle County	Kentucky
Total enrolled (age 3+)	235	3,326	1,039,376
Nursery / preschool	1.3%	6.2%	5.5%
K–12	90.2%	73.5%	70.6%
Kindergarten	6%	4.4%	5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	27.2%	17.4%	21.4%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	35.7%	24.5%	21.9%
High School: Grades 9–12	21.3%	27.1%	22.2%
College or graduate school	8.5%	20.4%	23.8%
College, undergraduate	5.1%	15.8%	18.9%
Graduate, professional school	3.4%	4.6%	5%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	3.3%	16.8%	36%
School type
Public school	95.3%	87.4%	81.9%
Private school	4.7%	12.6%	18.1%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

1,776

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

7.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

14.9%

HS graduate

43.2%

Some college no degree

18.9%

Associates degree

3.5%

Bachelors degree

8.4%

Graduate or professional degree

3.6%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

65.4% · 34.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

32.6% · 67.4%

HS graduate

46% · 54%

Some college no degree

44.8% · 55.2%

Associates degree

53.2% · 46.8%

Bachelors degree

54% · 46%

Graduate or professional degree

78.1% · 21.9%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Mount Vernon	Rockcastle County	Kentucky
Population (25+)	1,776	11,507	3,098,758
Less than 9th grade	7.5%	7.7%	4.3%
9th–12th, no diploma	14.9%	9%	6.8%
High school diploma or GED	43.2%	45.6%	32.6%
Some college, no degree	18.9%	18.6%	19.7%
Associate's degree	3.5%	5.4%	9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12%	13.7%	27.6%
Bachelor's degree	8.4%	6%	16.2%
Graduate or professional	3.6%	7.7%	11.3%
High School or higher	77.6%	83.4%	88.9%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$34,526

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$31,016

HS graduate

$26,645

Some college or associates

$36,031

Bachelors degree

$43,438

Graduate or professional degree

$44,676

Poverty Rate

13.2%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

34.4%

HS graduate

25.4%

Some college or associates

15.5%

Bachelors degree or higher

13.2%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Mount Vernon	Rockcastle County	Kentucky
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$34,526	$39,325	$46,524
Less than high school graduate	$31,016	$30,991	$29,659
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$26,645	$32,661	$37,177
Some college or associate's degree	$36,031	$40,093	$43,534
Bachelor's degree	$43,438	$53,565	$60,526
Graduate or professional degree	$44,676	$60,000	$70,952
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	34.4%	51.6%	33.5%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	25.4%	23.8%	17%
Some college or associate's degree	15.5%	13.3%	11.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.2%	3.4%	4.7%

Insights for Mount Vernon, 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.

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