Fayette County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21067 Democrat

Located in Kentucky, Fayette County has a population of 323,725 residents and a median age of 35.3 years, making it the #227 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.9%. The median home value is $293,500, and the median household income is $69,479, which is 8% below the national median.

323,725
Population
#227 of 3,222
$69,479
Median Income
-7.5% #1,234 of 3,222
35.3 years
Median Age
-9.3% #2,940 of 3,222
14.9%
Poverty Rate
+18.5% #1,933 of 3,222

Demographics

Fayette County has a population of 323,725, making it the #227 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.3 years, which is 9.3% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

88.1%
Native Born
11.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Fayette County is $69,479, ranking #1,234 out of 3,222 counties — 7.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.9% and unemployment stands at 4.8%.

Income#1,234
$69,479
-7.5%
vs nation
62th percentile
Per Capita#493
$43,790
+6.1%
vs nation
85th percentile
Poverty#1,933
14.9%
+18.5%
vs nation
40th percentile
Unemployment#1,912
4.8%
-8.5%
vs nation
41th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Fayette County is $293,500 (+4.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,164/mo and the homeownership rate is 53.8%.

Home Value#661
$293,500
+4.1%
vs nation
79th percentile
Rent#597
$1,164
+0.1%
vs nation
81th percentile
Homeownership#3,128
53.8%
-16.5%
vs nation
3th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Fayette County, 48.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 43.3% above the national average, ranking #123 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
48.3% +43.3% vs nation
Rank #123 of 3,222
96th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Fayette County is 76.7 years. 18.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,006
76.7
+2.1%
vs nation
67th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,575
18.9%
-3.4%
vs nation
50th percentile
Diabetes#1,908
11.5%
+3.3%
vs nation
39th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,060
39.2%
+5.1%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#749
5.2
-7.5%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#819
4.0
-10.7%
vs nation
74th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,039
7.6%
-27.6%
vs nation
67th percentile
Physical Inactivity#813
22.9%
-13.2%
vs nation
74th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,192
13.1%
-9.1%
vs nation
62th percentile

Substance Use

16.4% of adults in Fayette County smoke , 34.9% are obese , and 16.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 50.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,083
16.4%
-8.7%
vs nation
66th percentile
Adult Obesity#700
34.9%
-7.9%
vs nation
78th percentile
Excessive Drinking#474
16.6%
-16.7%
vs nation
85th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,816
50.0
+54.5%
vs nation
14th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Fayette County is 9.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 12.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 9.2 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,121
9.4
+17.5%
vs nation
27th percentile
Suicide Rate#378
12.7
-35.8%
vs nation
85th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,228
16.6
-7.1%
vs nation
50th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#285
9.2
-54.7%
vs nation
90th percentile

Families & Children

18.2% of children in Fayette County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 15.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#324
5.2
-24.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#981
15.5
-28.8%
vs nation
67th percentile
Child Poverty#1,627
18.2%
-4.2%
vs nation
48th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Fayette County is 64.8%. The mean commute time is 23.2 min, which is 16.0% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
64.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.2 min −16.0% vs nation
Rank #2,313 of 3,222
28th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Fayette County voted Democratic with a margin of 18.1%. The vote was 58% Dem / 39.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.6 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +18.1%
58% 39.9%
Dem 143,762 votes Rep
2020 DEM +20.7%
59.2% 38.5%
Dem 152,912 votes Rep
2016 DEM +9.5%
51.3% 41.8%
Dem 136,112 votes Rep
2012 DEM +1.0%
49.3% 48.3%
Dem 125,821 votes Rep
2008 DEM +4.8%
51.7% 46.9%
Dem 127,639 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Fayette County, Kentucky

Fayette County, Kentucky has a total population of 323,725, making it the 227th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Fayette County is 35.3 years, which is 9.3% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Fayette County is $69,479, which ranks #1,234 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 7.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.8%.

The median home value in Fayette County is $293,500, 4.1% above the national median. Renters in Fayette County pay a median gross rent of $1,164 per month. The homeownership rate is 53.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Fayette County, 48.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 43.3% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.2 min.

Fayette County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 66.7% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (14.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (9.5%).

All data for Fayette 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.