Lexington-Fayette, KY

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
522,560
US Senator
Mitch McConnell
Republican Party
US Senator
Rand Paul
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
36.7
0.273% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
13.8%
1.53% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$71,966
1.77% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$281,300
8.65% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
267,075
1.53% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Lexington-Fayette, 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.

94.3% of the residents in Lexington-Fayette, KY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lexington-Fayette, KY are University of Kentucky (9,834 degrees awarded in 2023), Bluegrass Community and Technical College (4,808 degrees), and Frontier Nursing University (960 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Lexington-Fayette, KY was $281,300, and the homeownership rate was 59.3%.

Most people in Lexington-Fayette, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Lexington-Fayette, KY was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Bluegrass Fair in Lexington, KY
Photo by Anthony
United StatesKentucky

Population & Diversity

Lexington-Fayette, KY is home to a population of 523k people, from which 94.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 8.78% of Lexington-Fayette, KY residents were born outside of the country (45.9k people).

In 2024, there were 7.05 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (386k people) in Lexington-Fayette, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 54.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 19.7k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.3%
2024 Citizenship
94.9%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.3% of Lexington-Fayette, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lexington-Fayette, KY was 94.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lexington-Fayette, KY
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    386k ± 553
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    54.7k ± 1.26k
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    19.7k ± 1.35k
8.09%
Hispanic Population
42.3k people

In 2024, there were 7.05 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (386k people) in Lexington-Fayette, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 54.7k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 19.7k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

8.09% of the people in Lexington-Fayette, KY are hispanic (42.3k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lexington-Fayette, KY as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Kentucky.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    34,091 ± 4,516 people
  2. Cuba
    20,475 ± 3,505 people
  3. 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

8.78%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
45.9k people
8.08%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
41.8k people

As of 2024, 8.78% of Lexington-Fayette, KY residents (45.9k 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY was 8.08%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    6,835 ± 558
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    5,560 ± 623
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    3,750 ± 512

Lexington-Fayette, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.23 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Lexington-Fayette, KY employs 267k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lexington-Fayette, KY were Health Care & Social Assistance (40,701 people), Educational Services (33,075 people), and Manufacturing (31,354 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($109,536), Utilities ($84,286), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($68,790).

Employment

Occupations

267k
2024 Value
± 4,269
1.53%
1 Year growth
± 2.25%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lexington-Fayette, KY grew at a rate of 1.53%, from 263k employees to 267k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lexington-Fayette, KY, are Management Occupations (29,419 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (29,084 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (24,161 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lexington-Fayette, KY.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

267k
2024 Value
± 4,269
1.53%
1 Year growth
± 2.25%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lexington-Fayette, KY grew at a rate of 1.53%, from 263k employees to 267k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lexington-Fayette, KY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (40,701 people), Educational Services (33,075 people), and Manufacturing (31,354 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lexington-Fayette, KY, though some of these residents may live in Lexington-Fayette, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$52,382
Median earning men ± $1,019
$38,813
Median earning women ± $1,090

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($67,305), Manufacturing ($66,894), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($64,155).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($53,026), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($52,639), and Manufacturing ($47,457).

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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.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 1,055
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  2. 922
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. 787
    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.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $2.68M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $1.92M
    Manufacturing
  3. $1.21M
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

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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

Voting results are not available for Lexington-Fayette, KY. Showing the available data for Kentucky.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (64.5%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (33.9%)
    Democratic Party
  3. 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.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Kentucky

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

In 2023, universities in Lexington-Fayette, KY awarded 17,658 degrees. The student population of Lexington-Fayette, KY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 21,945 male students and 33,721 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lexington-Fayette, KY are White (13,226 and 76.9%), Black or African American (1,349 and 7.84%), Hispanic or Latino (1,000 and 5.81%), and Two or More Races (570 and 3.31%).

The largest universities in Lexington-Fayette, KY by number of degrees awarded are University of Kentucky (9,834 and 55.7%), Bluegrass Community and Technical College (4,808 and 27.2%), and Frontier Nursing University (960 and 5.44%).

The most popular majors in Lexington-Fayette, KY are Social Work (1,058 and 5.99%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (767 and 4.34%), and General Business (639 and 3.62%).

The median tuition costs in Lexington-Fayette, KY are $37,046 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 89.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 24.5%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 55,666 (39.4% men and 60.6% 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.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 55,666 students enrolled in Lexington-Fayette, KY, 39.4% men and 60.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 39,715 records, of which 61.2% were women and 38.8% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Business
    502 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    406 degrees awarded
  3. General Marketing & Marketing Management
    401 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Lexington-Fayette, KY was General Business with 502 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. University of Kentucky
    9,834 degrees awarded
  2. Bluegrass Community and Technical College
    4,808 degrees awarded
  3. Frontier Nursing University
    960 degrees awarded

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

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 7,258 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lexington-Fayette, KY, which is 0.698 times less than the 10,400 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 13,226 degrees mean that there were 9.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,349 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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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($37,046) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,363) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,225) 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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Housing & Living

The median property value in Lexington-Fayette, KY was $281,300 in 2024, which is 0.846 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $258,900 to $281,300, a 8.65% increase. The homeownership rate in Lexington-Fayette, KY is 59.3%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lexington-Fayette, KY have an average commute time of 21.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lexington-Fayette, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$281,300
Median Property Value 2024
±$3,757
$128,234
Median Property Taxes
±$2,491

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

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

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Rent vs Own

59.3%
Homeownership
2024
67.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 59.3% of the housing units in Lexington-Fayette, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 59.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lexington-Fayette, KY compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$71,966
Median Household Income
± $1,111
216k
Number of Households
± 3,528

In 2024, the median household income of the 216k households in Lexington-Fayette, KY grew to $71,966 from the previous year's value of $70,717.

The following chart displays the households in Lexington-Fayette, 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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lexington-Fayette, 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (74.3%)
  2. Worked At Home (12%)
  3. Carpooled (8.98%)

In 2024, 74.3% of workers in Lexington-Fayette, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12%) and those who carpooled to work (8.98%).

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

21.9 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lexington-Fayette, KY have a shorter commute time (21.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.73% of the workforce in Lexington-Fayette, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lexington-Fayette, KY (69.6k out of 506k 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 Lexington-Fayette, 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.

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Health

93.5% of the population of Lexington-Fayette, KY has health coverage, with 51.2% on employee plans, 18.1% on Medicaid, 11.5% on Medicare, 11.4% on non-group plans, and 1.22% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Kentucky see 1,601 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,601 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1502 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 320 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kentucky.
1,601 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Kentucky

Primary care physicians in Kentucky see an average of 1,601 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,601 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 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.6% under 18 years, 24.5% between 18 and 34 years, 36.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

6.49%
Uninsured
51.2%
Employer Coverage
18.1%
Medicaid
11.5%
Medicare
11.4%
Non-Group
1.22%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lexington-Fayette, KY grew by 6.77% from 6.07% to 6.49%.

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

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