Adair County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21001 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Adair County has a population of 19,089 residents and a median age of 39.7 years, making it the #1,933 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.4%. The median home value is $150,800, and the median household income is $53,553, which is 29% below the national median.

19,089
Population
#1,933 of 3,222
$53,553
Median Income
-28.7% #2,557 of 3,222
39.7 years
Median Age
+2.1% #2,198 of 3,222
18.4%
Poverty Rate
+46.0% #2,511 of 3,222

Demographics

Adair County has a population of 19,089, making it the #1,933 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.7 years, which is 2.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.3%
Native Born
3.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Adair County is $53,553, ranking #2,557 out of 3,222 counties — 28.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.4% and unemployment stands at 6.8%.

Income#2,557
$53,553
-28.7%
vs nation
21th percentile
Per Capita#2,648
$28,489
-31.0%
vs nation
18th percentile
Poverty#2,511
18.4%
+46.0%
vs nation
22th percentile
Unemployment#2,766
6.8%
+28.6%
vs nation
14th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Adair County is $150,800 (-46.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $771/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.2%.

Home Value#2,235
$150,800
-46.5%
vs nation
31th percentile
Rent#2,330
$771
-33.7%
vs nation
28th percentile
Homeownership#1,115
77.2%
+19.9%
vs nation
65th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Adair County, 21.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 35.4% below the national average, ranking #1,690 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.8% −35.4% vs nation
Rank #1,690 of 3,222
48th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Adair County is 71.7 years. 22.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,579
71.7
-4.6%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,311
22.4%
+14.5%
vs nation
27th percentile
Diabetes#2,147
12.1%
+8.7%
vs nation
32th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,059
44.7%
+19.8%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,258
5.5
-2.5%
vs nation
60th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,610
5.1
+14.6%
vs nation
17th percentile
Uninsured Rate#956
7.4%
-29.6%
vs nation
70th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,069
28.3%
+7.3%
vs nation
34th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,661
18.0%
+24.9%
vs nation
15th percentile

Substance Use

19.9% of adults in Adair County smoke , 37.3% are obese , and 14.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 38.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,242
19.9%
+10.8%
vs nation
29th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,227
37.3%
-1.6%
vs nation
61th percentile
Excessive Drinking#135
14.7%
-25.9%
vs nation
96th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,538
38.2
+18.2%
vs nation
27th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 16.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 28.9 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#947
16.1
-18.2%
vs nation
63th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#670
12.5
-30.1%
vs nation
73th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,338
28.9
+43.0%
vs nation
17th percentile

Families & Children

27.8% of children in Adair County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 18.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,344
18.7
-14.4%
vs nation
55th percentile
Child Poverty#2,716
27.8%
+46.4%
vs nation
14th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Adair County is 57.2%. The mean commute time is 25.6 min, which is 7.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
57.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.6 min −7.2% vs nation
Rank #1,792 of 3,222
44th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Adair County voted Republican with a margin of 71.2%. The vote was 14% Dem / 85.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +71.2%
14% 85.2%
Dem 8,971 votes Rep
2020 REP +67.1%
15.9% 83%
Dem 8,768 votes Rep
2016 REP +64.6%
16.1% 80.7%
Dem 8,228 votes Rep
2012 REP +55.1%
21.8% 76.9%
Dem 7,600 votes Rep
2008 REP +52.6%
22.9% 75.5%
Dem 7,298 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Adair County, Kentucky

Adair County, Kentucky has a total population of 19,089, making it the 1,933rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Adair County is 39.7 years, which is 2.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Adair County is $53,553, which ranks #2,557 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 28.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.8%.

The median home value in Adair County is $150,800, 46.5% below the national median. Renters in Adair County pay a median gross rent of $771 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Adair County, 21.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 35.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.6 min.

Adair County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).

All data for Adair County, Kentucky comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.