Caldwell County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Caldwell County has a population of 12,618 residents and a median age of 42.4 years, making it the #2,308 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.1%. The median home value is $118,500, and the median household income is $59,583, which is 21% below the national median.
Demographics
Caldwell County has a population of 12,618, making it the #2,308 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.4 years, which is 9.0% 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 Caldwell County is $59,583, ranking #2,116 out of 3,222 counties — 20.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.1% and unemployment stands at 4.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Caldwell County is $118,500 (-58.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $767/mo and the homeownership rate is 70.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Caldwell County, 17.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 49.3% below the national average, ranking #2,477 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Caldwell County is 73.0 years. 22.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.7% of adults in Caldwell County smoke , 38.0% are obese , and 15.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 26.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 31.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.6 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
21.6% of children in Caldwell County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 31.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Caldwell County is 65.9%. The mean commute time is 27.7 min, which is 0.3% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Caldwell County voted Republican with a margin of 58.2%. The vote was 20.3% Dem / 78.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Caldwell County, Kentucky
Caldwell County, Kentucky has a total population of 12,618, making it the 2,308th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Caldwell County is 42.4 years, which is 9.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Caldwell County is $59,583, which ranks #2,116 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 20.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.
The median home value in Caldwell County is $118,500, 58.0% below the national median. Renters in Caldwell County pay a median gross rent of $767 per month. The homeownership rate is 70.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Caldwell County, 17.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 49.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.7 min.
Caldwell County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 89.7% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (6.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
All data for Caldwell 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.