Lawrence County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Lawrence County has a population of 16,077 residents and a median age of 42.1 years, making it the #2,094 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 21.8%. The median home value is $111,700, and the median household income is $46,772, which is 38% below the national median.
Demographics
Lawrence County has a population of 16,077, making it the #2,094 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.1 years, which is 8.2% 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 Lawrence County is $46,772, ranking #2,906 out of 3,222 counties — 37.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 21.8% and unemployment stands at 7.7%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Lawrence County is $111,700 (-60.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $760/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Lawrence County, 14.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 56.5% below the national average, ranking #2,867 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Lawrence County is 70.5 years. 24.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
22.1% of adults in Lawrence County smoke , 39.7% are obese , and 14.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 62.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 19.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 24.5 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
24.9% of children in Lawrence County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 30.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Lawrence County is 58.9%. The mean commute time is 33.0 min, which is 19.5% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Lawrence County voted Republican with a margin of 67.2%. The vote was 15.9% Dem / 83.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Lawrence County, Kentucky
Lawrence County, Kentucky has a total population of 16,077, making it the 2,094th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lawrence County is 42.1 years, which is 8.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Lawrence County is $46,772, which ranks #2,906 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 37.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 21.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.7%.
The median home value in Lawrence County is $111,700, 60.4% below the national median. Renters in Lawrence County pay a median gross rent of $760 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Lawrence County, 14.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 56.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.0 min.
Lawrence County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 96.6% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (1.6%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (1.3%).
All data for Lawrence 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.