Ballard County, KY

County

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2023 Population

7,678

0.827% 1-year decline

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

44.2

1.12% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

13.8%

3.66% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$64,740

13.4% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$132,900

30.3% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

3,333

2.62% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Ballard County, KY had a population of 7.68k people with a median age of 44.2 and a median household income of $64,740. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Ballard County, KY declined from 7,742 to 7,678, a −0.827% decrease and its median household income grew from $57,111 to $64,740, a 13.4% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Ballard County, KY are White (Non-Hispanic) (91.5%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (3.63%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.19%), Two+ (Hispanic) (0.573%), and White (Hispanic) (0.482%).

None of the households in Ballard 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.

99.4% of the residents in Ballard County, KY are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Ballard County, KY was $132,900, and the homeownership rate was 79.7%.

Most people in Ballard County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Ballard County, KY was 2 cars per household.

Ballard County, KY borders Alexander County, IL, Pulaski County, IL, Carlisle County, KY, McCracken County, KY, and Mississippi County, MO.

United States Kentucky Paducah, KY-IL

Population & Diversity

Ballard County, KY is home to a population of 7.68k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.39% of Ballard County, KY residents were born outside of the country (107 people).

In 2023, there were 25.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.03k people) in Ballard County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 279 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 245 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

99.6%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.4% of Ballard County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Ballard County, KY was 99.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ballard County, KY

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.03k ± 38
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
279 ± 85
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
245 ± 89

1.43%

Hispanic Population

110 people

1.43% of the people in Ballard County, KY are hispanic (110 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Ballard 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
28,651 ± 4,142 people
Cuba
14,970 ± 2,999 people
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.

Foreign-Born Population

1.39%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

107 people

1.1%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

85 people

As of 2023, 1.39% of Ballard County, KY residents (107 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Ballard County, KY was 1.1%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
208 ± 68
Gulf War (2001-)
42 ± 33
Gulf War (1990s)
34 ± 24

Ballard County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4.95 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Ballard County, KY employs 3.33k people. The largest industries in Ballard County, KY are Health Care & Social Assistance (486 people), Manufacturing (475 people), and Retail Trade (345 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($71,250), Educational Services ($57,153), and Administrative & Support & Waste Management Services ($56,895).

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.

Employment

Occupations

3.33k

2023 Value

± 313

2.62%

1 Year growth

± 13.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Ballard County, KY grew at a rate of 2.62%, from 3.25k employees to 3.33k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ballard County, KY, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (433 people), Management Occupations (413 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (331 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ballard County, KY.

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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Industries

Employment by Industries

3.33k

2023 Value

± 313

2.62%

1 Year growth

± 13.2%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Ballard County, KY grew at a rate of 2.62%, from 3.25k employees to 3.33k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ballard County, KY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (486 people), Manufacturing (475 people), and Retail Trade (345 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ballard County, KY, though some of these residents may live in Ballard County, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,699

Median earning men ± $6,765

$35,135

Median earning women ± $6,878

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($70,043), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($68,036), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,893).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($56,431), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($44,605), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($41,466).

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

19
Other Services (except Public Administration)
15
Retail Trade
9
Retail Trade

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

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$40.1k
Manufacturing
$7.71k
Transportation and Warehousing
$4.93k
Wholesale Trade

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

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Ballard County, KY went to Donald J. Trump with 79.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (19.5%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.757%).

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

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (79.4%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (19.5%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.757%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Ballard County, KY for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

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.

US Representative Elections

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.

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

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.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Ballard County, KY was $132,900 in 2023, which is 0.438 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $102,000 to $132,900, a 30.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Ballard County, KY is 79.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Ballard County, KY have an average commute time of 24.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ballard County, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Ballard County, KY is $64,740. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Ballard County, KY was Census Tract 9501 with a value of $65,833, followed by Census Tract 9502 and Census Tract 9503, with respective values of $60,500 and $59,753.

In 2023, 8.48% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ballard County, KY. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.92%.

Housing

Property

$132,900

Median Property Value 2023

±$24,527

$2,488

Median Property Taxes

±$256

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 Ballard County, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

79.7%

Homeownership

2023

66.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 79.7% of the housing units in Ballard County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 80.4%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9501
Census Tract 9502
Census Tract 9503

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Ballard County, KY was Census Tract 9501 with a value of $65,833, followed by Census Tract 9502 and Census Tract 9503, with respective values of $60,500 and $59,753.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Ballard County, KY colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$64,740

Median Household Income

± $9,078

3.12k

Number of Households

± 291

In 2023, the median household income of the 3.12k households in Ballard County, KY grew to $64,740 from the previous year's value of $57,111.

The following chart displays the households in Ballard 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 Ballard County, KY is from Kentucky.

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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (87.6%)
Carpooled (6.37%)
Worked At Home (3.31%)

In 2023, 87.6% of workers in Ballard County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (6.37%) and those who worked at home (3.31%).

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

24.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ballard County, KY have a shorter commute time (24.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.05% of the workforce in Ballard County, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Ballard 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 Ballard County, KY distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Ballard County, KY have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 8.48% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ballard County, KY. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 2.92%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

13.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ballard County, KY (1.04k out of 7.53k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Ballard County, KY 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 21.9% of the children was living in poverty in Ballard County, KY. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.6%.

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.

Health

96.1% of the population of Ballard County, KY has health coverage, with 46.6% on employee plans, 21.4% on Medicaid, 17.8% on Medicare, 9.9% on non-group plans, and 0.331% on military or VA plans.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.3% were men and 48.7% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.4% under 18 years, 17.6% between 18 and 34 years, 39.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.3% were men and 48.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

3.94%

Uninsured

46.6%

Employer Coverage

21.4%

Medicaid

17.8%

Medicare

9.9%

Non-Group

0.331%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ballard County, KY grew by 7.32% from 3.68% to 3.94%.

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