Garrard County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21079 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Garrard County has a population of 17,568 residents and a median age of 43.0 years, making it the #2,005 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.9%. The median home value is $204,900, and the median household income is $63,087, which is 16% below the national median.

17,568
Population
#2,005 of 3,222
$63,087
Median Income
-16.1% #1,787 of 3,222
43.0 years
Median Age
+10.5% #1,207 of 3,222
15.9%
Poverty Rate
+26.4% #2,110 of 3,222

Demographics

Garrard County has a population of 17,568, making it the #2,005 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.0 years, which is 10.5% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.0%
Native Born
2.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Garrard County is $63,087, ranking #1,787 out of 3,222 counties — 16.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.9% and unemployment stands at 5.1%.

Income#1,787
$63,087
-16.1%
vs nation
45th percentile
Per Capita#2,332
$30,524
-26.0%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poverty#2,110
15.9%
+26.4%
vs nation
35th percentile
Unemployment#2,110
5.1%
-2.9%
vs nation
35th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Garrard County is $204,900 (-27.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $794/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.9%.

Home Value#1,357
$204,900
-27.3%
vs nation
58th percentile
Rent#2,147
$794
-31.7%
vs nation
33th percentile
Homeownership#658
79.9%
+24.1%
vs nation
80th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Garrard County, 18.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 44.5% below the national average, ranking #2,228 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.7% −44.5% vs nation
Rank #2,228 of 3,222
31th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Garrard County is 73.7 years. 23.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,042
73.7
-2.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,527
23.7%
+21.2%
vs nation
20th percentile
Diabetes#2,200
12.2%
+9.6%
vs nation
30th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,692
41.6%
+11.5%
vs nation
14th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,605
5.7
+0.3%
vs nation
49th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,611
5.1
+14.6%
vs nation
17th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,406
8.8%
-16.5%
vs nation
55th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,932
27.7%
+5.0%
vs nation
39th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,762
14.8%
+2.7%
vs nation
44th percentile

Substance Use

20.6% of adults in Garrard County smoke , 39.5% are obese , and 15.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 68.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,420
20.6%
+14.7%
vs nation
23th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,908
39.5%
+4.2%
vs nation
39th percentile
Excessive Drinking#219
15.2%
-23.3%
vs nation
93th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2,022
68.3
+111.4%
vs nation
4th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 18.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,326
18.4
-6.5%
vs nation
48th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,702
20.5
+14.6%
vs nation
31th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,623
20.4
+0.6%
vs nation
43th percentile

Families & Children

24.2% of children in Garrard County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 28.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,200
28.0
+28.3%
vs nation
27th percentile
Child Poverty#2,432
24.2%
+27.4%
vs nation
23th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Garrard County is 64.5%. The mean commute time is 35.9 min, which is 29.9% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
64.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
35.9 min +29.9% vs nation
Rank #219 of 3,222
93th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Garrard County voted Republican with a margin of 60.2%. The vote was 19.3% Dem / 79.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +60.2%
19.3% 79.5%
Dem 8,917 votes Rep
2020 REP +56.6%
21% 77.6%
Dem 8,706 votes Rep
2016 REP +58.5%
19.1% 77.6%
Dem 7,613 votes Rep
2012 REP +51.5%
23.5% 75%
Dem 7,077 votes Rep
2008 REP +43.1%
27.9% 71%
Dem 7,210 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Garrard County, Kentucky

Garrard County, Kentucky has a total population of 17,568, making it the 2,005th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Garrard County is 43.0 years, which is 10.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Garrard County is $63,087, which ranks #1,787 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 16.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.1%.

The median home value in Garrard County is $204,900, 27.3% below the national median. Renters in Garrard County pay a median gross rent of $794 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Garrard County, 18.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 44.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 35.9 min.

Garrard County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.0%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (2.4%).

All data for Garrard 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.