Rowan County, KY

County

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2024 Population

24,578

US Senator

Mitch McConnell

Republican Party

US Senator

Rand Paul

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

31.7

1.6% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

24.2%

1.21% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$54,321

1.24% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$161,800

3.78% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

11,016

1.67% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Rowan 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.

99.5% of the residents in Rowan County, KY are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Rowan County, KY are Morehead State University (1,351 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Rowan County, KY was $161,800, and the homeownership rate was 61.5%.

Most people in Rowan County, KY drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Rowan County, KY was 2 cars per household.

Rowan County, KY borders Bath County, KY, Carter County, KY, Elliott County, KY, Fleming County, KY, Lewis County, KY, Menifee County, KY, and Morgan County, KY.

United States Kentucky

Population & Diversity

Rowan County, KY is home to a population of 24.6k people, from which 99.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.09% of Rowan County, KY residents were born outside of the country (268 people).

In 2024, there were 53.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (23k people) in Rowan County, KY than any other race or ethnicity. There were 431 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 338 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.5%

2024 Citizenship

98.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.5% of Rowan County, KY residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Rowan County, KY was 98.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Rowan County, KY

White (Non-Hispanic)
23k ± 5
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
431 ± 146
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
338 ± 133

2.39%

Hispanic Population

588 people

2.39% of the people in Rowan County, KY are hispanic (588 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Rowan 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

1.09%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

268 people

2.25%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

551 people

As of 2024, 1.09% of Rowan County, KY residents (268 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 Rowan County, KY was 2.25%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
393 ± 171
Vietnam
287 ± 146
Gulf War (1990s)
129 ± 96

Rowan County, KY has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.37 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Rowan County, KY employs 11k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Rowan County, KY were Educational Services (1,974 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,880 people), and Retail Trade (1,456 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($67,144), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($65,729), and Construction ($59,855).

Employment

Occupations

11k

2024 Value

± 867

−1.67%

1 Year decline

± 11.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rowan County, KY declined at a rate of −1.67%, from 11.2k employees to 11k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Rowan County, KY, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,254 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (1,221 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,107 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Rowan 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

11k

2024 Value

± 867

−1.67%

1 Year decline

± 11.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Rowan County, KY declined at a rate of −1.67%, from 11.2k employees to 11k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Rowan County, KY, are Educational Services (1,974 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,880 people), and Retail Trade (1,456 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Rowan County, KY, though some of these residents may live in Rowan County, KY and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$41,984

Median earning men ± $4,432

$27,272

Median earning women ± $3,574

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($65,903), Construction ($59,360), and Public Administration ($58,125).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($65,433), Manufacturing ($53,138), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($41,896).

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

45
Retail Trade
36
Health Care and Social Assistance
31
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

$111k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$48.1k
Manufacturing
$39.9k
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 Rowan 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 Rowan County, KY awarded 1,351 degrees. The student population of Rowan County, KY in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 3,306 male students and 5,312 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Rowan County, KY are White (1,214 and 90.8%), Black or African American (48 and 3.59%), Two or More Races (34 and 2.54%), and Hispanic or Latino (23 and 1.72%).

The largest universities in Rowan County, KY by number of degrees awarded are Morehead State University (1,351 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Rowan County, KY are General Studies (167 and 12.4%), Registered Nursing (99 and 7.33%), and Radiation Therapist (58 and 4.29%).

The median tuition cost in Rowan County, KY for a public four year colleges is $9,518 for in-state students and $14,386 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Rowan County, KY, the percentage of applicants admitted was 82.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 16.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 8,618 (38.4% men and 61.6% 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.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 8,618 students enrolled in Rowan County, KY, 38.4% men and 61.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 7,122 records, of which 62.1% were women and 37.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Biomedical Sciences
51 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
50 degrees awarded
General Studies
140 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Rowan County, KY was General Biomedical Sciences with 51 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Morehead State University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

1,351 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Morehead State University with 1,351 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 512 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Rowan County, KY, which is 0.61 times less than the 839 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 1,214 degrees mean that there were 25.3 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 48 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

Public, 4-year or above ($9,518) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($320) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($600) 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 Rowan County, KY was $161,800 in 2024, which is 0.486 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $155,900 to $161,800, a 3.78% increase. The homeownership rate in Rowan County, KY is 61.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Rowan County, KY have an average commute time of 24.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Rowan County, KY is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 10.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rowan County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.6%.

Housing

Property

$161,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$12,413

$5,901

Median Property Taxes

±$601

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

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

Rent vs Own

61.5%

Homeownership

2024

68.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 61.5% of the housing units in Rowan County, KY were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 63.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Rowan 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.

$54,321

Median Household Income

± $7,317

9.59k

Number of Households

± 860

In 2024, the median household income of the 9.59k households in Rowan County, KY grew to $54,321 from the previous year's value of $53,657.

The following chart displays the households in Rowan 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 $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Rowan 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 (75.3%)
Worked At Home (8.55%)
Carpooled (7.72%)

In 2024, 75.3% of workers in Rowan County, KY drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (8.55%) and those who carpooled to work (7.72%).

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

24.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Rowan County, KY have a shorter commute time (24.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.92% of the workforce in Rowan County, KY have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Rowan County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.6%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

24.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Rowan County, KY (5.22k out of 21.6k 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 Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Rowan County, KY is White, followed by Two Or More 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, 23.2% of the children was living in poverty in Rowan County, KY. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.4%.

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 79.9 in Rowan County, KY. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 19.2 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.9% of the population of Rowan County, KY has health coverage, with 43.3% on employee plans, 21.6% on Medicaid, 12.3% on Medicare, 14.8% on non-group plans, and 1.87% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Rowan County, KY see 1,554 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,554 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1626 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 165 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,554 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Rowan County, KY

Primary care physicians in Rowan County, KY see an average of 1,554 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,554 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.7% under 18 years, 30.6% between 18 and 34 years, 30.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.9% were men and 52.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.1%

Uninsured

43.3%

Employer Coverage

21.6%

Medicaid

12.3%

Medicare

14.8%

Non-Group

1.87%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Rowan County, KY grew by 6.28% from 5.74% to 6.1%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Rowan 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 38 in Rowan County, KY.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Rowan 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 41.5% in Rowan County, KY.

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