Data / Rankings / Population density / Counties in Kentucky

Counties in Kentucky by population density

Jefferson County had the highest population density of 120 counties in 2020, at 793.7 inhabitants per km². Hickman County had the lowest, at 7.2 inhabitants per km². The median was 22.6 inhabitants per km² and the figure for Kentucky was 44.1 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest793.7Jefferson County
Lowest7.2Hickman County
Median22.6120 counties
Kentucky44.1History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 793.7 inhabitants per km²793.7Fayette CountyFayette County: 438.8 inhabitants per km²438.8Kenton CountyKenton County: 407.5 inhabitants per km²407.5Campbell CountyCampbell County: 237.7 inhabitants per km²237.7Boone CountyBoone County: 214 inhabitants per km²214Oldham CountyOldham County: 139.6 inhabitants per km²139.6Jessamine CountyJessamine County: 119 inhabitants per km²119Boyd CountyBoyd County: 116.4 inhabitants per km²116.4Bullitt CountyBullitt County: 107 inhabitants per km²107McCracken CountyMcCracken County: 105.4 inhabitants per km²105.4Warren CountyWarren County: 96.2 inhabitants per km²96.2Franklin CountyFranklin County: 95.8 inhabitants per km²95.8Daviess CountyDaviess County: 87.1 inhabitants per km²87.1Madison CountyMadison County: 82 inhabitants per km²82Scott CountyScott County: 78.7 inhabitants per km²78.7Hardin CountyHardin County: 68.6 inhabitants per km²68.6Boyle CountyBoyle County: 65.8 inhabitants per km²65.8Clark CountyClark County: 56.6 inhabitants per km²56.6Laurel CountyLaurel County: 55.8 inhabitants per km²55.8Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 55 inhabitants per km²55Woodford CountyWoodford County: 54.8 inhabitants per km²54.8Shelby CountyShelby County: 49 inhabitants per km²49Anderson CountyAnderson County: 45.6 inhabitants per km²45.6Nelson CountyNelson County: 43.1 inhabitants per km²43.1Marshall CountyMarshall County: 40.5 inhabitants per km²40.5Spencer CountySpencer County: 40.3 inhabitants per km²40.3Greenup CountyGreenup County: 40.2 inhabitants per km²40.2Henderson CountyHenderson County: 39.5 inhabitants per km²39.5Christian CountyChristian County: 39.1 inhabitants per km²39.1Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 38.2 inhabitants per km²38.2Meade CountyMeade County: 38 inhabitants per km²38Calloway CountyCalloway County: 37.7 inhabitants per km²37.7Taylor CountyTaylor County: 37.7 inhabitants per km²37.7Grant CountyGrant County: 37.4 inhabitants per km²37.4Barren CountyBarren County: 35.3 inhabitants per km²35.3Floyd CountyFloyd County: 35.2 inhabitants per km²35.2Mercer CountyMercer County: 35.1 inhabitants per km²35.1Rowan CountyRowan County: 34.1 inhabitants per km²34.1Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 34.1 inhabitants per km²34.1Johnson CountyJohnson County: 33.4 inhabitants per km²33.4
inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020
inhabitants per km²
1Jefferson County793.7
2Fayette County438.8
3Kenton County407.5
4Campbell County237.7
5Boone County214
6Oldham County139.6
7Jessamine County119
8Boyd County116.4
9Bullitt County107
10McCracken County105.4
11Warren County96.2
12Franklin County95.8
13Daviess County87.1
14Madison County82
15Scott County78.7
16Hardin County68.6
17Boyle County65.8
18Clark County56.6
19Laurel County55.8
20Montgomery County55
21Woodford County54.8
22Shelby County49
23Anderson County45.6
24Nelson County43.1
25Marshall County40.5
26Spencer County40.3
27Greenup County40.2
28Henderson County39.5
29Christian County39.1
30Pulaski County38.2
31Meade County38
32Calloway County37.7
33Taylor County37.7
34Grant County37.4
35Barren County35.3
36Floyd County35.2
37Mercer County35.1
38Rowan County34.1
39Gallatin County34.1
40Johnson County33.4
41Carroll County32.5
42Simpson County32.4
43Whitley County32.4
44Hopkins County32.3
45Perry County32.2
46Knox County30.2
47Pike County28.7
48Garrard County28.5
49Powell County28.3
50Lincoln County28.1
51Mason County27.6
52Russell County27.4
53Bourbon County27
54Bell County25.8
55Graves County25.6
56Muhlenberg County25.5
57Carter County25.1
58Letcher County24.5
59Harrison County23.6
60Allen County23.1
61Harlan County22.2
62Trimble County22.1
63Marion County22
64Larue County22
65Estill County21.6
66Henry County21.2
67Grayson County20.5
68Pendleton County20.4
69Rockcastle County19.6
70Logan County19.2
71Martin County18.9
72Hancock County18.7
73Clinton County18.1
74Hart County18
75Adair County18
76Bath County17.7
77Fleming County16.7
78Clay County16.7
79Wayne County16.5
80Bracken County16
81Lyon County15.7
82Washington County15.6
83Ohio County15.6
84Knott County15.6
85Edmonson County15.5
86Union County15.4
87McCreary County15.2
88Lawrence County15.1
89Webster County15.1
90Green County15
91Nicholas County14.9
92Magoffin County14.5
93Jackson County14.5
94Caldwell County14.2
95McLean County14
96Morgan County13.9
97Breckinridge County13.9
98Casey County13.8
99Metcalfe County13.7
100Lee County13.6
101Monroe County13.3
102Todd County12.7
103Owen County12.5
104Trigg County12.3
105Fulton County12.2
106Elliott County12.1
107Ballard County12.1
108Menifee County11.6
109Wolfe County11.4
110Butler County11.2
111Livingston County10.9
112Breathitt County10.7
113Lewis County10.5
114Leslie County10.1
115Carlisle County9.8
116Crittenden County9.7
117Robertson County8.5
118Owsley County7.9
119Cumberland County7.4
120Hickman County7.2

Other periods

About this ranking

Resident population divided by land area in km². World Bank figures use mid-year population and land area excluding inland water.

United States: Census Bureau population estimates for 1 July divided by land area (water excluded) from the latest Census Gazetteer files. US tables often give people per square mile; multiply persons per km² by 2.59 to compare.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program resident population on 1 July divided by land area from the latest Census Gazetteer files, persons per km². https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Rank Counties in Kentucky by population density using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest population density?

Jefferson County, with 793.7 inhabitants per km² in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Hickman County, with 7.2 inhabitants per km² in 2020.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program resident population on 1 July divided by land area from the latest Census Gazetteer files, persons per km². Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Population density: other rankings

Counties in Kentucky: more rankings