Paducah, KY

Census Place

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2023 Population

26,894

0.093% 1-year growth

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

43.2

1.17% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

21.5%

3.61% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$51,243

9.06% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$164,600

7.86% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

12,763

4.18% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Paducah, KY had a population of 26.9k people with a median age of 43.2 and a median household income of $51,243. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Paducah, KY grew from 26,869 to 26,894, a 0.093% increase and its median household income grew from $46,984 to $51,243, a 9.06% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Paducah, KY are White (Non-Hispanic) (70.5%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (20.1%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.83%), Two+ (Hispanic) (2.03%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.8%).

None of the households in Paducah, 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.

98.6% of the residents in Paducah, KY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Paducah, KY are West Kentucky Community and Technical College (2,586 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2023, the median property value in Paducah, KY was $164,600, and the homeownership rate was 54.1%.

Most people in Paducah, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Paducah, KY was 2 cars per household.

United States Kentucky McCracken County, KY Paducah, KY-IL Purchase Area Development District PUMA, KY

Population & Diversity

Paducah, KY is home to a population of 26.9k people, from which 98.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 2.7% of Paducah, KY residents were born outside of the country (727 people).

In 2023, there were 3.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (19k people) in Paducah, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 5.41k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 1.03k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.6%

2023 Citizenship

99.1%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.6% of Paducah, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Paducah, KY was 99.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Paducah, KY

White (Non-Hispanic)
19k ± 482
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
5.41k ± 438
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
1.03k ± 352

2.73%

Hispanic Population

733 people

2.73% of the people in Paducah, KY are hispanic (733 people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place 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

2.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

727 people

2.07%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

556 people

As of 2023, 2.7% of Paducah, KY residents (727 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 Paducah, KY was 2.07%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
601 ± 189
Gulf War (2001-)
215 ± 114
Gulf War (1990s)
125 ± 71

Paducah, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.8 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Paducah, KY employs 12.8k people. The largest industries in Paducah, KY are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,247 people), Retail Trade (2,170 people), and Educational Services (1,421 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance ($88,333), Wholesale Trade ($86,979), and Utilities ($84,028).

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

12.8k

2023 Value

± 956

4.18%

1 Year growth

± 10.3%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Paducah, KY grew at a rate of 4.18%, from 12.3k employees to 12.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Paducah, KY, are Sales & Related Occupations (1,622 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,161 people), and Management Occupations (1,155 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Paducah, 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

12.8k

2023 Value

± 956

4.18%

1 Year growth

± 10.3%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Paducah, KY grew at a rate of 4.18%, from 12.3k employees to 12.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Paducah, KY, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,247 people), Retail Trade (2,170 people), and Educational Services (1,421 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Paducah, KY, though some of these residents may live in Paducah, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,441

Median earning men ± $7,955

$29,276

Median earning women ± $2,917

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($92,843), Public Administration ($83,563), and Manufacturing ($66,389).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($85,750), Construction ($66,695), and Manufacturing ($60,799).

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.

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 Paducah, 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.

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

In 2022, universities in Paducah, KY awarded 2,586 degrees. The student population of Paducah, KY in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 2,313 male students and 2,996 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Paducah, KY are White (2,113 and 81.9%), followed by Black or African American (160 and 6.2%), Hispanic or Latino (155 and 6.01%), and Two or More Races (96 and 3.72%).

The largest universities in Paducah, KY by number of degrees awarded are West Kentucky Community and Technical College (2,586 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Paducah, KY are Welding Technology (331 and 12.8%), Licensed Practical & Vocational Nurse Training (319 and 12.3%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (262 and 10.1%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 5,309 students enrolled in Paducah, KY, 43.6% men and 56.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,163 records, of which 57.5% were women and 42.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Multidisciplinary Studies
26 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
262 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
57 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Paducah, KY was Other Multidisciplinary Studies with 26 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

West Kentucky Community and Technical College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

2,586 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was West Kentucky Community and Technical College with 2,586 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 1,192 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Paducah, KY, which is 0.855 times less than the 1,394 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 2,113 degrees mean that there were 13.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 160 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

Public, 2-year ($4,368) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($192) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,078) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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 Paducah, KY was $164,600 in 2023, which is 0.543 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $152,600 to $164,600, a 7.86% increase. The homeownership rate in Paducah, KY is 54.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Paducah, KY have an average commute time of 15.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Paducah, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Paducah, KY is $51,243. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Paducah, KY was Census Tract 308 with a value of $91,646, followed by Census Tract 310 and Census Tract 301, with respective values of $48,462 and $42,907.

Housing

Property

$164,600

Median Property Value 2023

±$21,028

$6,282

Median Property Taxes

±$617

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

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

Rent vs Own

54.1%

Homeownership

2023

67%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 54.1% of the housing units in Paducah, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 53.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Paducah, 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 308
Census Tract 310
Census Tract 301

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Paducah, KY was Census Tract 308 with a value of $91,646, followed by Census Tract 310 and Census Tract 301, with respective values of $48,462 and $42,907.

The following map shows all of the places in Paducah, 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.

$51,243

Median Household Income

± $6,044

11.6k

Number of Households

± 847

In 2023, the median household income of the 11.6k households in Paducah, KY grew to $51,243 from the previous year's value of $46,984.

The following chart displays the households in Paducah, 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 < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Paducah, 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 (79.3%)
Carpooled (7.48%)
Worked At Home (6.69%)

In 2023, 79.3% of workers in Paducah, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (7.48%) and those who worked at home (6.69%).

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

15.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Paducah, KY have a shorter commute time (15.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.34% of the workforce in Paducah, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

21.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Paducah, KY (5.57k out of 25.9k 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 Males 6 - 11, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Paducah, 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.

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

94.3% of the population of Paducah, KY has health coverage, with 38.4% on employee plans, 29.1% on Medicaid, 14.4% on Medicare, 10.6% on non-group plans, and 1.79% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in McCracken County, KY see 980 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.41% increase from the previous year (976 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1054 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 414 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for McCracken County, KY.

980 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in McCracken County, KY

Primary care physicians in McCracken County, KY see an average of 980 patients per year. This represents a 0.41% increase from the previous year (976 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22% under 18 years, 18.4% between 18 and 34 years, 41.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 43.9% were men and 56.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.72%

Uninsured

38.4%

Employer Coverage

29.1%

Medicaid

14.4%

Medicare

10.6%

Non-Group

1.79%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Paducah, KY declined by 17.8% from 6.95% to 5.72%.

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

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