Fayette County, KY

County

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2024 Population

323,725

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

35.3

0.284% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

14.9%

4.84% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$69,479

2.73% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$293,500

7.86% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

171,716

1.95% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Fayette 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.

92.3% of the residents in Fayette County, KY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Fayette County, KY are University of Kentucky (9,834 degrees awarded in 2023), Bluegrass Community and Technical College (4,808 degrees), and Transylvania University (216 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Fayette County, KY was $293,500, and the homeownership rate was 53.8%.

Most people in Fayette County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 20.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Fayette County, KY was 2 cars per household.

Fayette County, KY borders Bourbon County, KY, Clark County, KY, Jessamine County, KY, Madison County, KY, Scott County, KY, and Woodford County, KY.

About the photo: Lexington, KY

Photo by Anthony

United States Kentucky Lexington-Fayette, KY

Population & Diversity

Fayette County, KY is home to a population of 324k people, from which 92.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 11.7% of Fayette County, KY residents were born outside of the country (37.9k people).

In 2024, there were 4.64 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (216k people) in Fayette County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 46.6k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 14.1k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.3%

2024 Citizenship

93.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.3% of Fayette County, KY residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Fayette County, KY was 93.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Fayette County, KY

White (Non-Hispanic)
216k ± 455
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
46.6k ± 1.08k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
14.1k ± 434

9.52%

Hispanic Population

30.8k people

9.52% of the people in Fayette County, KY are hispanic (30.8k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Fayette 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

11.7%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

37.9k people

10.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

34.7k people

As of 2024, 11.7% of Fayette County, KY residents (37.9k 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 Fayette County, KY was 10.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,990 ± 423
Gulf War (2001-)
3,098 ± 438
Gulf War (1990s)
2,107 ± 408

Fayette County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.29 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Fayette County, KY employs 172k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Fayette County, KY were Health Care & Social Assistance (26,754 people), Educational Services (23,909 people), and Retail Trade (19,311 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($187,727), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($69,596), and Utilities ($68,958).

Employment

Occupations

172k

2024 Value

± 3,629

1.95%

1 Year growth

± 2.91%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Fayette County, KY grew at a rate of 1.95%, from 168k employees to 172k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Fayette County, KY, are Management Occupations (18,624 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (18,427 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (15,491 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Fayette 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

172k

2024 Value

± 3,629

1.95%

1 Year growth

± 2.91%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Fayette County, KY grew at a rate of 1.95%, from 168k employees to 172k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Fayette County, KY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (26,754 people), Educational Services (23,909 people), and Retail Trade (19,311 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Fayette County, KY, though some of these residents may live in Fayette County, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,954

Median earning men ± $1,472

$38,991

Median earning women ± $1,501

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($77,543), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($67,192), and Manufacturing ($65,785).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($57,656), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($57,143), and Construction ($48,010).

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

761
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
632
Health Care and Social Assistance
502
Other Services (except Public Administration)

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

$2.38M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.03M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$856k
Construction

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 Fayette 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 Fayette County, KY awarded 15,251 degrees. The student population of Fayette County, KY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 18,548 male students and 27,505 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Fayette County, KY are White (11,479 and 77.2%), Black or African American (1,119 and 7.52%), Hispanic or Latino (870 and 5.85%), and Two or More Races (500 and 3.36%).

The largest universities in Fayette County, KY by number of degrees awarded are University of Kentucky (9,834 and 64.5%), Bluegrass Community and Technical College (4,808 and 31.5%), and Transylvania University (216 and 1.42%).

The most popular majors in Fayette County, KY are Social Work (1,042 and 6.83%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (767 and 5.03%), and General Computer & Information Sciences (599 and 3.93%).

The median tuition costs in Fayette County, KY are $43,160 for private four year colleges, and $11,849 and $32,043 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Fayette County, KY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 91.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 24.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 46,053 (40.3% men and 59.7% women).

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

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 46,053 students enrolled in Fayette County, KY, 40.3% men and 59.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 33,394 records, of which 60.1% were women and 39.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business
418 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
387 degrees awarded
General Marketing & Marketing Management
385 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Fayette County, KY was General Business with 418 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Kentucky
9,834 degrees awarded
Bluegrass Community and Technical College
4,808 degrees awarded
Transylvania University
216 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Kentucky with 9,834 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 6,611 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Fayette County, KY, which is 0.765 times less than the 8,640 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 11,479 degrees mean that there were 10.3 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,119 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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($43,160) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,820) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

Housing & Living

The median property value in Fayette County, KY was $293,500 in 2024, which is 0.882 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $272,100 to $293,500, a 7.86% increase. The homeownership rate in Fayette County, KY is 53.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Fayette County, KY have an average commute time of 20.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Fayette County, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Fayette County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.516%.

Housing

Property

$293,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$5,552

$75,121

Median Property Taxes

±$2,004

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 Fayette County, KY the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

53.8%

Homeownership

2024

67.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 53.8% of the housing units in Fayette County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 53.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Fayette 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.

$69,479

Median Household Income

± $1,691

140k

Number of Households

± 3,035

In 2024, the median household income of the 140k households in Fayette County, KY grew to $69,479 from the previous year's value of $67,631.

The following chart displays the households in Fayette 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 Fayette 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 (73.1%)
Worked At Home (12.2%)
Carpooled (8.71%)

In 2024, 73.1% of workers in Fayette County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.2%) and those who carpooled to work (8.71%).

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

20.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Fayette County, KY have a shorter commute time (20.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.87% of the workforce in Fayette County, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Fayette County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.516%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

14.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Fayette County, KY (46.5k out of 311k 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 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

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

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, 18.2% of the children was living in poverty in Fayette County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2%.

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 369 in Fayette County, KY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 204 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

92.8% of the population of Fayette County, KY has health coverage, with 52.4% on employee plans, 17.5% on Medicaid, 10.8% on Medicare, 11% on non-group plans, and 1% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Fayette County, KY see 832 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (832 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 666 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 167 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

832 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Fayette County, KY

Primary care physicians in Fayette County, KY see an average of 832 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (832 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.9% under 18 years, 27.1% between 18 and 34 years, 35.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

7.21%

Uninsured

52.4%

Employer Coverage

17.5%

Medicaid

10.8%

Medicare

11%

Non-Group

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Fayette County, KY grew by 5.34% from 6.85% to 7.21%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Fayette 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 57.6 in Fayette County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Fayette 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 34.9% in Fayette County, KY.

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