Barren County, KY

County

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2024 Population

44,938

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

39.8

0.748% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

19.4%

7.86% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$50,628

2.96% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$178,000

6.65% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

18,630

0.976% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Barren County, KY 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.

98.3% of the residents in Barren County, KY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Barren County, KY are PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow (34 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Barren County, KY was $178,000, and the homeownership rate was 65.2%.

Most people in Barren County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Barren County, KY was 2 cars per household.

Barren County, KY borders Allen County, KY, Edmonson County, KY, Hart County, KY, Metcalfe County, KY, Monroe County, KY, and Warren County, KY.

United States Kentucky Glasgow, KY

Population & Diversity

Barren County, KY is home to a population of 44.9k people, from which 98.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.75% of Barren County, KY residents were born outside of the country (1.24k people).

In 2024, there were 23.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (39.3k people) in Barren County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 919 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.3%

2024 Citizenship

98.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.3% of Barren County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Barren County, KY was 98.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Barren County, KY

White (Non-Hispanic)
39.3k ± 343
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.7k ± 241
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
919 ± 238

4.43%

Hispanic Population

1.99k people

4.43% of the people in Barren County, KY are hispanic (1.99k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Barren County, KY as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Kentucky.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
34,091 ± 4,516 people
Cuba
20,475 ± 3,505 people
India
12,629 ± 2,755 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kentucky was Mexico, the natal country of 34,091 Kentucky residents, followed by Cuba with 20,475 and India with 12,629.

Foreign-Born Population

2.75%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.24k people

2.47%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.11k people

As of 2024, 2.75% of Barren County, KY residents (1.24k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Barren County, KY was 2.47%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
667 ± 134
Gulf War (2001-)
412 ± 149
Gulf War (1990s)
273 ± 98

Barren County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.62 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Barren County, KY.

Economy

The economy of Barren County, KY employs 18.6k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Barren County, KY were Manufacturing (4,005 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,673 people), and Retail Trade (2,501 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($96,161), Wholesale Trade ($65,804), and Utilities ($63,021).

Employment

Occupations

18.6k

2024 Value

± 998

0.976%

1 Year growth

± 7.53%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Barren County, KY grew at a rate of 0.976%, from 18.5k employees to 18.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Barren County, KY, are Production Occupations (2,459 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,143 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,640 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Barren County, KY.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

18.6k

2024 Value

± 998

0.976%

1 Year growth

± 7.53%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Barren County, KY grew at a rate of 0.976%, from 18.5k employees to 18.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Barren County, KY, are Manufacturing (4,005 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,673 people), and Retail Trade (2,501 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Barren County, KY, though some of these residents may live in Barren County, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,122

Median earning men ± $3,684

$34,407

Median earning women ± $3,059

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($66,705), Wholesale Trade ($64,091), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($61,289).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($69,018), Public Administration ($61,623), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($54,196).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.51%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.98M people employed in Kentucky. This represents a 2.51% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Kentucky.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

77
Retail Trade
55
Other Services (except Public Administration)
49
Retail Trade

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

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$127k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$122k
Manufacturing
$75.2k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

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 Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Barren County, KY. Showing the available data for Kentucky.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.5%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (33.9%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.808%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kentucky went to Donald J. Trump with 64.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (33.9%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.808%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Kentucky for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Kentucky

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.

Mitch McConnell

Senator from Kentucky

Assumed office on January 3, 1985

Rand Paul

Senator from Kentucky

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.

Education

In 2023, universities in Barren County, KY awarded 34 degrees. The student population of Barren County, KY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1 male students and 42 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Barren County, KY are White (27 and 79.4%), Hispanic or Latino (3 and 8.82%), Two or More Races (2 and 5.88%), and Black or African American (1 and 2.94%).

The largest universities in Barren County, KY by number of degrees awarded are PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow (34 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Barren County, KY are General Cosmetology (24 and 70.6%), Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist (5 and 14.7%), and Nail Specialist & Manicurist (4 and 11.8%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 43 students enrolled in Barren County, KY, 2.33% men and 97.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 37 records, of which 97.3% were women and 2.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

General Cosmetology

Most Common

24 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Barren County, KY was General Cosmetology with 24 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Barren County, KY according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

34 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow with 34 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 1 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Barren County, KY, which is 0.0303 times less than the 33 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 27 degrees mean that there were 9 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 3 degrees awarded.

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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Barren County, KY was $178,000 in 2024, which is 0.535 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $166,900 to $178,000, a 6.65% increase. The homeownership rate in Barren County, KY is 65.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Barren County, KY have an average commute time of 23.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Barren County, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Barren County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.95%.

Housing

Property

$178,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,848

$11,743

Median Property Taxes

±$722

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 Barren County, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Barren County, KY compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

65.2%

Homeownership

2024

67.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 65.2% of the housing units in Barren County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 65.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Barren County, KY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$50,628

Median Household Income

± $2,937

18k

Number of Households

± 1,001

In 2024, the median household income of the 18k households in Barren County, KY grew to $50,628 from the previous year's value of $49,171.

The following chart displays the households in Barren County, KY 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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Barren County, KY is from Kentucky.

0.449

2023 Wage GINI in Kentucky

0.452

2022 Wage GINI in Kentucky

In 2023, the income inequality in Kentucky was 0.449 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.729% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kentucky was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (77.3%)
Carpooled (12%)
Worked At Home (7.3%)

In 2024, 77.3% of workers in Barren County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12%) and those who worked at home (7.3%).

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.

Commute Time

23.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Barren County, KY have a shorter commute time (23.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.5% of the workforce in Barren County, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Barren County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 2.95%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

19.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Barren County, KY (8.56k out of 44.1k 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 55 - 64 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Barren County, KY is White, followed by Hispanic 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 22.6% of the children was living in poverty in Barren County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.6%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 124 in Barren County, KY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 18.2 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

91.5% of the population of Barren County, KY has health coverage, with 37.1% on employee plans, 28.7% on Medicaid, 14.7% on Medicare, 9.53% on non-group plans, and 1.5% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Barren County, KY see 1,437 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,437 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2990 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 409 patients per year.

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

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,437 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Barren County, KY

Primary care physicians in Barren County, KY see an average of 1,437 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,437 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25.1% under 18 years, 18.8% between 18 and 34 years, 38.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.4% 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.

Uninsured People

8.52%

Uninsured

37.1%

Employer Coverage

28.7%

Medicaid

14.7%

Medicare

9.53%

Non-Group

1.5%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Barren County, KY grew by 5.57% from 8.07% to 8.52%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 48.4 in Barren County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Barren County, KY.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 40.7% in Barren County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Barren County, KY.