Demographics of Carter County, Kentucky

Carter County, Kentucky had 26,149 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: −465 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Carter County, in four figures

26,149
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; −1.7%
Change since July 2020: −465 people.; 41.4 ±0.5
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $51,235 ±$4,124
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Carter County, Kentucky's population shrank 1.7% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Carter County, Kentucky's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Carter County, Kentucky's population shrank 1.7% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Carter County, Kentucky's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	26,614	100.0	100.0
2021	26,448	99.4	100.2
2022	26,307	98.8	100.7
2023	26,300	98.8	101.6
2024	26,195	98.4	102.5
2025	26,149	98.3	103.1

3 more columns on a wider screen

Population of Carter County, Kentucky on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	26,614	−17	+5	0	−25
2021	26,448	−166	−123	0	−64
2022	26,307	−141	−232	0	+103
2023	26,300	−7	−170	−1	+167
2024	26,195	−105	−165	+13	+52
2025	26,149	−46	−170	+11	+111

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 41.4 ±0.5: for men 40.2 ±0.8 and for women 43.1 ±1.4. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Carter County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	Kentucky	United States
Under 5	1,551 ±136	5.9% ±0.5	5.9% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	4,390 ±306	16.7% ±1.2	16.7% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	2,200 ±225	8.4% ±0.9	9.1% ±0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	5,980 ±339	22.7% ±1.3	25.7% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	6,970 ±331	26.5% ±1.3	25.3% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	5,250 ±416	19.9% ±1.6	17.3% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $51,235 ±$4,124, and income per person $27,994 ±$1,869, in 2024 dollars. The median is $63,726 ±$429 in Kentucky and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

2 more columns on a wider screen

Households in Carter County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	Kentucky	United States
Under $25,000	2,965 ±420	27.5% ±3.8	19.6% ±0.3	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	2,309 ±361	21.4% ±3.3	20.4% ±0.3	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	1,629 ±303	15.1% ±2.8	17.1% ±0.2	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	1,309 ±331	12.1% ±3.0	12.8% ±0.2	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	1,430 ±307	13.2% ±2.8	15.9% ±0.2	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	825 ±214	7.6% ±2.0	7.1% ±0.2	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	161 to 493	1.5% to 4.6%	7.2% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

2 more columns on a wider screen

Poverty rate in Carter County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	Kentucky	United States
All ages	4,932 ±732	19.2% ±2.8	16.1% ±0.3	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	1,288 ±275	22.0% ±4.3	20.3% ±0.4	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	2,374 ±424	18.4% ±3.1	15.4% ±0.3	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	1,270 ±278	18.3% ±3.8	13.4% ±0.3	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

1 more column on a wider screen

Housing in Carter County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Carter County	Kentucky	United States
Housing units	12,316 ±32	2,023,116 ±474	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	87.6% ±2.3	89.7% ±0.3	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	12.4% ±2.4	10.3% ±0.3	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	80.0% ±1.7	68.3% ±0.4	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	20.0% ±2.6	31.7% ±0.3	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$132,800 ±$16,490	$205,600 ±$1,096	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$740 ±$65	$967 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1984 ±3	1982 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Carter County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	Kentucky	United States
Hispanic or Latino	96 to 358	0.4% to 1.4%	5.0% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	25,069 ±218	95.2% ±0.8	81.5% ±0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	28 to 120	0.1% to 0.5%	7.6% ±0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0 to 151	0% to 0.6%	1.6% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0 to 14	0% to 0.1%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 24	0% to 0.1%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0 to 62	0% to 0.2%	0.3% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	871 ±267	3.3% ±1.0	3.9% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

2 more columns on a wider screen

People in Carter County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	Kentucky	United States
Born in the state	19,045 ±749	72.3% ±2.8	67.3% ±0.2	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	6,862 ±755	26.1% ±2.9	27.1% ±0.2	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	50 to 250	0.2% to 0.9%	0.9% ±<0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	69 to 499	0.3% to 1.9%	4.7% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	0 to 88	0% to 0.3%	1.9% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	25 to 459	0.1% to 1.7%	2.8% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Carter County among the counties of Kentucky

44th of 120 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the Kentucky page.

Counties of Kentucky near Carter County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Woodford County	27,883	+3.7%
Grayson County	27,406	+3.6%
Taylor County	26,763	+2.9%
Perry County	26,555	−6.4%
Grant County	26,181	+4.7%
Carter County	26,149	−1.7%
Lincoln County	25,353	+4.6%
Anderson County	25,225	+5.5%
Harlan County	24,725	−7.6%
Rowan County	24,476	−1.0%
Ohio County	23,934	+0.8%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026