Kentucky

State

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2022 Population
4.5M
0.196% 1-year growth
US Senator
Mitch McConnell
Republican Party
US Senator
Rand Paul
Republican Party
2022 Median Age
39.1
0.256% 1-year increase
2022 Poverty Rate
16.1%
0.926% 1-year decrease
2022 Median Household Income
$60,183
8.53% 1-year growth
2022 Median Property Value
$177,000
14.1% 1-year growth
2022 Employed Population
1.94M
0.688% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Kentucky had a population of 4.5M people with a median age of 39.1 and a median household income of $60,183. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Kentucky grew from 4.49M to 4.5M, a 0.196% increase and its median household income grew from $55,454 to $60,183, a 8.53% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Kentucky are White (Non-Hispanic) (83.2%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (7.89%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.93%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.52%), and White (Hispanic) (1.52%).

5.91% of the households in Kentucky reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.6% of the residents in Kentucky are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Kentucky are University of Kentucky (8,890 degrees awarded in 2022), University of the Cumberlands (6,956 degrees), and University of Louisville (5,751 degrees).

In 2022, the median property value in Kentucky was $177,000, and the homeownership rate was 68.1%.

Most people in Kentucky drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Kentucky was 2 cars per household.

Population & Diversity

Kentucky is home to a population of 4.5M people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2022, 4% of Kentucky residents were born outside of the country (180k people).

In 2022, there were 10.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.75M people) in Kentucky than any other race or ethnicity. There were 355k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 132k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary langauge in households in Kentucky are Spanish (117,581 households), German (12,665 households), and French (Incl. Cajun) (9,710 households).

Population by Location

Sex
RACE/ETHNICITY

In 2022 there were 4,502,935 residents in Kentucky.

The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) with the highest resident population were Purchase Area Development District PUMA, KY (196,944 people), Barren River Area Development District (Outer) PUMA, KY (177,820 people), and Northern Kentucky Area Development District (North Central)--Kenton County PUMA, KY (167,990 people).

The following map shows all of the states in Kentucky colored by the resident population.

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Residents by Gender and Age

RACE/ETHNICITY
2,271,082
Women
50.4%
2,231,853
Men
49.6%

The resident population of United States in 2022 was 4,502,935 inhabitants, with 49.6% men, and 50.4% women.

The visualization shows the distribution of the residents by gender and age in the United States.

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Citizenship

97.6%
2022 Citizenship
97.6%
2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 97.6% of Kentucky residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Kentucky was 97.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Kentucky compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Kentucky
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    3.75M ± 2.05k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    355k ± 2.63k
  3. Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
    132k ± 3.19k
4.01%
Hispanic Population
180k people

In 2022, there were 10.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.75M people) in Kentucky than any other race or ethnicity. There were 355k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 132k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

4.01% of the people in Kentucky are hispanic (180k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Kentucky as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    28,651 ± 4,142 people
  2. Cuba
    14,970 ± 2,999 people
  3. India
    12,312 ± 2,720 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kentucky was Mexico, the natal country of 28,651 Kentucky residents, followed by Cuba with 14,970 and India with 12,312.

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Foreign-Born Population

4%
2022 Foreign-Born Population
180k people
4.05%
2021 Foreign-Born Population
182k people

As of 2022, 4% of Kentucky residents (180k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Kentucky was 4.05%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Kentucky compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages
  1. Spanish
    117,581 households (2.78%)
  2. German
    12,665 households (0.299%)
  3. French (Incl. Cajun)
    9,710 households (0.229%)

5.91% of the households in Kentucky reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is lower than the national average of 21.7%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2022, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Kentucky was Spanish. 2.78% of the households in Kentucky reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

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Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    81,788 ± 1,895
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    53,043 ± 1,978
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    40,031 ± 1,667

Kentucky has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.54 times greater than any other conflict.

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Economy

The economy of Kentucky employs 1.94M people. The largest industries in Kentucky are Elementary & secondary schools (124,439 people), Restaurants & Food Services (117,715 people), and Construction (107,053 people), and the highest paying industries are Petroleum refining ($133,675), Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($117,447), and Pipeline transportation ($112,936).

Males in Kentucky have an average income that is 1.32 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,220. The income inequality in Kentucky (measured using the Gini index) is 0.452, which is lower than than the national average.

Workforce Diversity

Measure
RACE/ETHNICITY
920,654
Women
48.3%
987,033
Men
51.7%

The workforce of Kentucky in 2020 was 1,907,687 people, with 48.3% woman, and 51.7% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Kentucky.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

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Workforce and Wage by Location

Measure
RACE/ETHNICITY

In 2022 there were 1,935,323 people working in Kentucky. The Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) that concentrated the largest workforce were Northern Kentucky Area Development District (North Central)--Kenton County PUMA, KY (84,933 people), Purchase Area Development District PUMA, KY (81,585 people), and Northern Kentucky Area Development District (Outer) PUMA, KY (76,258 people).

The following map shows all of the PUMAs in Kentucky colored by workforce or average wage.

With the upper buttons you can see the yearly change and add a filter by race.

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Occupations

1.94M
2022 Value
0.688%
1 Year growth
± 0.688%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Kentucky grew at a rate of 0.688%, from 1.92M employees to 1.94M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Kentucky, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (49,868 people), Registered nurses (49,434 people), and Laborers & freight, stock, & material movers, hand (47,048 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Kentucky.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kentucky (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Employment by Industries

1.94M
2022 Value
0.688%
1 Year growth
± 0.688%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Kentucky grew at a rate of 0.688%, from 1.92M employees to 1.94M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Kentucky, are Elementary & secondary schools (124,439 people), Restaurants & Food Services (117,715 people), and Construction (107,053 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Kentucky, though some of these residents may live in Kentucky and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$46,918
Median earning men ± $252
$34,164
Median earning women ± $224

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($68,677), Public Administration ($56,495), and Manufacturing ($55,139).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($47,386), Public Administration ($43,238), and Manufacturing ($40,935).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for N/A.
Y-Axis
N/A%
Year-over-year N/A
Employment change between N/A N/A and N/A N/A

As of N/A N/A, there are N/A people employed in N/A. This represents a N/A% N/A in employment when compared to N/A N/A.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during N/A, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall N/A in employment by N/A%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in N/A.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 81,660
    Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance
  2. 50,230
    Finance & Insurance, and Real Estate, Rental & Leasing
  3. 37,784
    Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

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Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 62.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (36.2%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.23%).

The most partisan county was Leslie County, KY with 89.8% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing the state of Kentucky. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

Donald J. Trump
Popular Vote for Kentucky
62.1% for the Republican Party
Most Partisan Counties in Kentucky
  1. 89.8% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
  2. 89.2% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
  3. 89% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)

In the 2020 presidential election, the most partisan county in Kentucky was Leslie County, KY with 89.8% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

The following map shows the counties in Kentucky colored by their party leaning.

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US Senators from Kentucky

Mitch McConnell
Senator from Kentucky2
Assumed office on January 3, 1985
Rand Paul
Senator from Kentucky3
Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are the senators currently representing Kentucky.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Kentucky over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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US Representatives from Kentucky

Kentucky is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Kentucky have changed over time starting in 2008.

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Education

In 2022, universities in Kentucky awarded 91,178 degrees. The student population of Kentucky in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 108,986 male students and 158,967 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Kentucky are White (66,085 and 76.9%), followed by Black or African American (6,114 and 7.11%), Unknown (5,421 and 6.31%), and Hispanic or Latino (3,747 and 4.36%).

The largest universities in Kentucky by number of degrees awarded are University of Kentucky (8,890 and 9.75%), University of the Cumberlands (6,956 and 7.63%), and University of Louisville (5,751 and 6.31%).

The most popular majors in Kentucky are Liberal Arts & Sciences (5,399 and 5.92%), Registered Nursing (5,198 and 5.7%), and General Business Administration & Management (4,707 and 5.16%).

The median tuition costs in Kentucky are $26,422 for private four year colleges, and $9,876 and $20,193 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2022 in Kentucky, the percentage of applicants admitted was 81.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 24.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 267,953 (40.7% men and 59.3% women).

The map shows the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

The line chart below shows the annual evolution of the indicator by gender.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 267,953 students enrolled in Kentucky, 40.7% men and 59.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 184,512 records, of which 60.7% were women and 39.3% men.

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Concentrations

Most Common
  1. 2,462 degrees awarded
  2. 1,492 degrees awarded
  3. 1,093 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Kentucky was Registered Nursing with 2,462 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Kentucky according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. 8,890 degrees awarded
  2. 6,956 degrees awarded
  3. 5,751 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Kentucky with 8,890 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 41,645 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Kentucky, which is 0.841 times less than the 49,533 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 66,085 degrees mean that there were 10.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 6,114 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($26,422) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($818) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($2,608) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2022, 0.821% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.756% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

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Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Kentucky in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.17M), Some college (766k), and Secondary Education (551k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Kentucky was $177,000 in 2022, which is 0.628 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $155,100 to $177,000, a 14.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Kentucky is 68.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Kentucky have an average commute time of 23.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Kentucky is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Kentucky is $60,183. In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Kentucky was Oldham County, KY with a value of $117,334, followed by Spencer County, KY and Boone County, KY, with respective values of $101,118 and $91,697.

In 2023, 13.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Kentucky. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.646%.

Property

$177,000
Median Property Value 2022
±$1,059
$1.21M
Median Property Taxes
±$8,142

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Kentucky the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Kentucky compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

68.1%
Homeownership
2022
64.8%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2022

In 2022, 68.1% of the housing units in Kentucky were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 67.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Kentucky compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.
Race/Ethnicity
Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2022, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Kentucky was Oldham County, KY with a value of $117,334, followed by Spencer County, KY and Boone County, KY, with respective values of $101,118 and $91,697.

The following map shows all of the counties in Kentucky colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$60,183
Median Household Income
± $443
1.77M
Number of Households
± 10,159

In 2022, the median household income of the 1.77M households in Kentucky grew to $60,183 from the previous year's value of $55,454.

The following chart displays the households in Kentucky distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

0.452
2022 Wage GINI in Kentucky
0.453
2021 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2022, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.452 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.286% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kentucky in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Kentucky across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022
  1. Drove Alone (79%)
  2. Carpooled (9.12%)
  3. Worked At Home (7.95%)

In 2022, 79% of workers in Kentucky drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.12%) and those who worked at home (7.95%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

23.9 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Kentucky have a shorter commute time (23.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.3% of the workforce in Kentucky have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Kentucky compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Kentucky distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Kentucky have 2 cars.

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Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 13.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Kentucky. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 0.646%.

The map show the severe housing problems rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

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Poverty & Diversity

16.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Kentucky (705k out of 4.37M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Kentucky is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Children in Poverty

In 2023, 21.2% of the children was living in poverty in Kentucky. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 5.3%.

The map show the children in poverty rate in the counties of California. The graph underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the percentage of children in poverty.

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Health

94.1% of the population of Kentucky has health coverage, with 44.9% on employee plans, 23.2% on Medicaid, 13.1% on Medicare, 11.3% on non-group plans, and 1.76% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Kentucky see 1551 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.977% increase from the previous year (1536 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1512 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 365 patients per year.

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,551 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Kentucky

Primary care physicians in Kentucky see an average of 1,551 patients per year. This represents a 0.977% increase from the previous year (1,536 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Kentucky in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.2% under 18 years, 20.9% between 18 and 34 years, 38.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

5.87%
Uninsured
44.9%
Employer Coverage
23.2%
Medicaid
13.1%
Medicare
11.3%
Non-Group
1.76%
Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Kentucky grew by 0.758% from 5.82% to 5.87%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Kentucky changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 54.7 in Kentucky.

The  map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of Kentucky and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in Kentucky.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 37% in Kentucky.

The  map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of Kentucky and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in Kentucky.

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Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 6.92% in Kentucky.

The  map shows the distribution of the indicator in the counties of Kentucky and the graphic underneath the paragraph shows the trend of the indicator in Kentucky.

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