Franklin County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21073 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Franklin County has a population of 51,842 residents and a median age of 40.8 years, making it the #987 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.6%. The median home value is $216,600, and the median household income is $65,298, which is 13% below the national median.

51,842
Population
#987 of 3,222
$65,298
Median Income
-13.1% #1,613 of 3,222
40.8 years
Median Age
+4.9% #1,861 of 3,222
13.6%
Poverty Rate
+8.2% #1,665 of 3,222

Demographics

Franklin County has a population of 51,842, making it the #987 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.8 years, which is 4.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.0%
Native Born
4.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Franklin County is $65,298, ranking #1,613 out of 3,222 counties — 13.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.6% and unemployment stands at 5.9%.

Income#1,613
$65,298
-13.1%
vs nation
50th percentile
Per Capita#918
$39,218
-5.0%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poverty#1,665
13.6%
+8.2%
vs nation
48th percentile
Unemployment#2,483
5.9%
+11.2%
vs nation
23th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Franklin County is $216,600 (-23.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $967/mo and the homeownership rate is 64.5%.

Home Value#1,232
$216,600
-23.2%
vs nation
62th percentile
Rent#1,111
$967
-16.9%
vs nation
65th percentile
Homeownership#2,784
64.5%
+0.1%
vs nation
14th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Franklin County, 31.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 5.5% below the national average, ranking #635 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
31.9% −5.5% vs nation
Rank #635 of 3,222
80th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Franklin County is 73.0 years. 18.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,238
73.0
-2.9%
vs nation
27th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,367
18.1%
-7.5%
vs nation
57th percentile
Diabetes#1,716
11.1%
-0.3%
vs nation
45th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,571
41.1%
+10.2%
vs nation
18th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#933
5.3
-5.5%
vs nation
70th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,448
4.4
-2.2%
vs nation
54th percentile
Uninsured Rate#604
6.5%
-38.4%
vs nation
81th percentile
Physical Inactivity#750
22.6%
-14.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,602
14.3%
-0.7%
vs nation
49th percentile

Substance Use

15.9% of adults in Franklin County smoke , 37.6% are obese , and 15.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 57.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#910
15.9%
-11.5%
vs nation
71th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,313
37.6%
-0.8%
vs nation
58th percentile
Excessive Drinking#217
15.2%
-23.4%
vs nation
93th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,927
57.6
+78.2%
vs nation
9th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Franklin County is 7.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 19.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#992
7.8
-2.0%
vs nation
35th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,455
19.3
-2.4%
vs nation
43th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,330
17.2
-3.9%
vs nation
46th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#546
11.8
-41.9%
vs nation
81th percentile

Families & Children

15.3% of children in Franklin County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 21.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#889
7.3
+7.2%
vs nation
35th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,620
21.5
-1.4%
vs nation
46th percentile
Child Poverty#1,152
15.3%
-19.4%
vs nation
63th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Franklin County is 67.2%. The mean commute time is 22.3 min, which is 19.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
67.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.3 min −19.1% vs nation
Rank #2,471 of 3,222
23th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Franklin County voted Republican with a margin of 4.8%. The vote was 46.6% Dem / 51.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +4.8%
46.6% 51.4%
Dem 25,749 votes Rep
2020 REP +1.0%
48.5% 49.5%
Dem 26,072 votes Rep
2016 REP +4.6%
45% 49.6%
Dem 23,840 votes Rep
2012 DEM +0.8%
49.4% 48.6%
Dem 23,337 votes Rep
2008 REP +0.6%
48.9% 49.5%
Dem 24,079 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Franklin County, Kentucky

Franklin County, Kentucky has a total population of 51,842, making it the 987th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Franklin County is 40.8 years, which is 4.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Franklin County is $65,298, which ranks #1,613 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 13.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.9%.

The median home value in Franklin County is $216,600, 23.2% below the national median. Renters in Franklin County pay a median gross rent of $967 per month. The homeownership rate is 64.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Franklin County, 31.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 5.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.3 min.

Franklin County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 80.5% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (9.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.4%).

All data for Franklin 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.