Barren County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Barren County has a population of 44,938 residents and a median age of 39.8 years, making it the #1,103 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.4%. The median home value is $178,000, and the median household income is $50,628, which is 33% below the national median.
Demographics
Barren County has a population of 44,938, making it the #1,103 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.8 years, which is 2.3% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Barren County is $50,628, ranking #2,738 out of 3,222 counties — 32.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.4% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Barren County is $178,000 (-36.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $796/mo and the homeownership rate is 65.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Barren County, 18.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.6% below the national average, ranking #2,296 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Barren County is 73.7 years. 22.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.9% of adults in Barren County smoke , 40.7% are obese , and 14.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 18.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 22.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.7 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
22.6% of children in Barren County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 29.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Barren County is 60.7%. The mean commute time is 25.2 min, which is 8.6% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Barren County voted Republican with a margin of 52.8%. The vote was 23.1% Dem / 75.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Barren County, Kentucky
Barren County, Kentucky has a total population of 44,938, making it the 1,103rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Barren County is 39.8 years, which is 2.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Barren County is $50,628, which ranks #2,738 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 32.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.
The median home value in Barren County is $178,000, 36.9% below the national median. Renters in Barren County pay a median gross rent of $796 per month. The homeownership rate is 65.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Barren County, 18.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.2 min.
Barren County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 87.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.4%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (3.8%).
All data for Barren 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.