Boyd County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21019 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Boyd County has a population of 47,911 residents and a median age of 42.3 years, making it the #1,042 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.9%. The median home value is $130,700, and the median household income is $61,118, which is 19% below the national median.

47,911
Population
#1,042 of 3,222
$61,118
Median Income
-18.7% #1,978 of 3,222
42.3 years
Median Age
+8.7% #1,403 of 3,222
16.9%
Poverty Rate
+34.5% #2,287 of 3,222

Demographics

Boyd County has a population of 47,911, making it the #1,042 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.7%
Native Born
1.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Boyd County is $61,118, ranking #1,978 out of 3,222 counties — 18.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.9% and unemployment stands at 6.4%.

Income#1,978
$61,118
-18.7%
vs nation
39th percentile
Per Capita#2,140
$31,752
-23.0%
vs nation
34th percentile
Poverty#2,287
16.9%
+34.5%
vs nation
29th percentile
Unemployment#2,664
6.4%
+20.7%
vs nation
17th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Boyd County is $130,700 (-53.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $849/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.2%.

Home Value#2,508
$130,700
-53.6%
vs nation
22th percentile
Rent#1,753
$849
-27.0%
vs nation
45th percentile
Homeownership#2,271
70.2%
+9.0%
vs nation
30th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Boyd County, 20.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 40.6% below the national average, ranking #1,997 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
20.0% −40.6% vs nation
Rank #1,997 of 3,222
38th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Boyd County is 71.6 years. 21.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,588
71.6
-4.7%
vs nation
16th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,221
21.9%
+12.0%
vs nation
29th percentile
Diabetes#2,107
12.0%
+7.8%
vs nation
33th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,684
38.0%
+1.9%
vs nation
47th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,111
5.4
-3.8%
vs nation
65th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,322
4.9
+9.5%
vs nation
26th percentile
Uninsured Rate#473
6.0%
-42.2%
vs nation
85th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,101
28.5%
+8.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,623
17.8%
+23.6%
vs nation
17th percentile

Substance Use

19.7% of adults in Boyd County smoke , 40.8% are obese , and 15.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 95.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,194
19.7%
+9.7%
vs nation
30th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,302
40.8%
+7.6%
vs nation
27th percentile
Excessive Drinking#256
15.4%
-22.5%
vs nation
92th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2,086
95.4
+195.1%
vs nation
1th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Boyd County is 3.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 20.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 8.7 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#422
3.9
-51.1%
vs nation
73th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,660
20.8
+5.6%
vs nation
35th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,464
18.2
+1.7%
vs nation
41th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#240
8.7
-56.9%
vs nation
92th percentile

Families & Children

23.0% of children in Boyd County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 28.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#712
6.5
-4.0%
vs nation
48th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,234
28.4
+30.2%
vs nation
26th percentile
Child Poverty#2,310
23.0%
+21.1%
vs nation
27th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Boyd County is 58.9%. The mean commute time is 23.4 min, which is 15.4% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
58.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.4 min −15.4% vs nation
Rank #2,282 of 3,222
29th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Boyd County voted Republican with a margin of 38.6%. The vote was 30% Dem / 68.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +38.6%
30% 68.6%
Dem 20,951 votes Rep
2020 REP +33.1%
32.6% 65.7%
Dem 21,751 votes Rep
2016 REP +37.0%
29.5% 66.5%
Dem 20,443 votes Rep
2012 REP +16.4%
40.8% 57.2%
Dem 19,040 votes Rep
2008 REP +12.3%
43% 55.3%
Dem 20,670 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Boyd County, Kentucky

Boyd County, Kentucky has a total population of 47,911, making it the 1,042nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Boyd County is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Boyd County is $61,118, which ranks #1,978 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 18.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.4%.

The median home value in Boyd County is $130,700, 53.6% below the national median. Renters in Boyd County pay a median gross rent of $849 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Boyd County, 20.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.4 min.

Boyd County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.2% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.2%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (2.3%).

All data for Boyd 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.