
Fastest-growing counties in Kentucky
Fastest-growing counties in Kentucky
From 2018 to 2019, the U.S. population grew by .48%, its slowest rate in 100 years. Declining births, increasing deaths largely due to the graying Baby Boomer population, and a crackdown on immigration have contributed to many states seeing net population losses in recent years.
But in other pockets of the country, populations are growing. These shifts can be due to job opportunities, high quality of life, easy commutability to job centers, low rents, or any combination of these or other factors. Stacker compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in Kentucky using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2019, based on 5-year estimates.
A county typically sees population growth as a “bedroom community” (a municipality with an atypically large commuting population) to a large city. These communities are typically quieter than their feeder cities, offer lower rents and a higher quality of living, and are remote enough to be immune to the feeder city’s crime, traffic, and crowds. Keep reading to see if your home county made the list.
#30. Bath County
--- #1,040 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.8%
--- #15 among counties in Kentucky, #623 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 12,355
--- #88 largest county in Kentucky, #2,266 largest county nationwide
#29. Simpson County
--- #986 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.6%
--- #21 among counties in Kentucky, #735 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 18,183
--- #64 largest county in Kentucky, #1,912 largest county nationwide
#28. Allen County
--- #918 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.4%
--- #16 among counties in Kentucky, #659 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 20,944
--- #54 largest county in Kentucky, #1,776 largest county nationwide
#27. Taylor County
--- #901 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.5%
--- #22 among counties in Kentucky, #745 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 25,571
--- #45 largest county in Kentucky, #1,580 largest county nationwide
#26. Anderson County
--- #899 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.3%
--- #17 among counties in Kentucky, #664 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 22,409
--- #51 largest county in Kentucky, #1,707 largest county nationwide
#25. Rowan County
--- #880 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.2%
--- #18 among counties in Kentucky, #676 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 24,507
--- #47 largest county in Kentucky, #1,623 largest county nationwide
#24. Franklin County
--- #869 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +3.0%
--- #34 among counties in Kentucky, #1,054 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 50,529
--- #19 largest county in Kentucky, #980 largest county nationwide
#23. Boyle County
--- #814 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.1%
--- #19 among counties in Kentucky, #686 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 29,972
--- #35 largest county in Kentucky, #1,434 largest county nationwide
#22. Woodford County
--- #803 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +7.3%
--- #14 among counties in Kentucky, #580 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 26,318
--- #43 largest county in Kentucky, #1,553 largest county nationwide
#21. Montgomery County
--- #779 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +7.6%
--- #11 among counties in Kentucky, #561 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 27,884
--- #37 largest county in Kentucky, #1,499 largest county nationwide
#20. Calloway County
--- #759 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.6%
--- #20 among counties in Kentucky, #733 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 38,837
--- #26 largest county in Kentucky, #1,207 largest county nationwide
#19. Spencer County
--- #754 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +12.7%
--- #6 among counties in Kentucky, #265 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 18,680
--- #63 largest county in Kentucky, #1,886 largest county nationwide
#18. Barren County
--- #748 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.3%
--- #24 among counties in Kentucky, #770 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 43,884
--- #25 largest county in Kentucky, #1,094 largest county nationwide
#17. Laurel County
--- #747 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +3.8%
--- #28 among counties in Kentucky, #943 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 60,357
--- #15 largest county in Kentucky, #868 largest county nationwide
#16. Pulaski County
--- #736 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +3.7%
--- #30 among counties in Kentucky, #956 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 64,350
--- #14 largest county in Kentucky, #821 largest county nationwide
#15. Nelson County
--- #651 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +7.4%
--- #13 among counties in Kentucky, #578 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 45,650
--- #23 largest county in Kentucky, #1,059 largest county nationwide
#14. Campbell County
--- #600 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.3%
--- #27 among counties in Kentucky, #874 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 92,861
--- #8 largest county in Kentucky, #632 largest county nationwide
#13. Daviess County
--- #539 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.3%
--- #23 among counties in Kentucky, #766 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 100,474
--- #7 largest county in Kentucky, #596 largest county nationwide
#12. Jessamine County
--- #503 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +12.7%
--- #5 among counties in Kentucky, #264 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 53,032
--- #18 largest county in Kentucky, #949 largest county nationwide
#11. Shelby County
--- #483 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +15.7%
--- #3 among counties in Kentucky, #181 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 47,325
--- #21 largest county in Kentucky, #1,027 largest county nationwide
#10. Oldham County
--- #464 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +12.2%
--- #7 among counties in Kentucky, #284 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 65,967
--- #12 largest county in Kentucky, #810 largest county nationwide
#9. Kenton County
--- #452 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.8%
--- #26 among counties in Kentucky, #817 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 165,668
--- #3 largest county in Kentucky, #393 largest county nationwide
#8. Hardin County
--- #450 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +7.6%
--- #12 among counties in Kentucky, #565 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 108,527
--- #6 largest county in Kentucky, #556 largest county nationwide
#7. Bullitt County
--- #449 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +10.6%
--- #10 among counties in Kentucky, #369 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 80,171
--- #10 largest county in Kentucky, #702 largest county nationwide
#6. Madison County
--- #414 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +11.3%
--- #8 among counties in Kentucky, #328 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 90,802
--- #9 largest county in Kentucky, #646 largest county nationwide
#5. Scott County
--- #399 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +21.8%
--- #1 among counties in Kentucky, #79 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 54,667
--- #17 largest county in Kentucky, #929 largest county nationwide
#4. Boone County
--- #301 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +14.0%
--- #4 among counties in Kentucky, #221 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 130,820
--- #4 largest county in Kentucky, #488 largest county nationwide
#3. Warren County
--- #277 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +17.2%
--- #2 among counties in Kentucky, #145 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 128,652
--- #5 largest county in Kentucky, #493 largest county nationwide
#2. Fayette County
--- #164 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +11.3%
--- #9 among counties in Kentucky, #329 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 320,601
--- #2 largest county in Kentucky, #215 largest county nationwide

#1. Jefferson County
--- #137 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.2%
--- #25 among counties in Kentucky, #781 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 767,419
--- #1 largest county in Kentucky, #83 largest county nationwide


