Lewis County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21135 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Lewis County has a population of 12,965 residents and a median age of 42.4 years, making it the #2,285 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 22.0%. The median home value is $96,000, and the median household income is $46,838, which is 38% below the national median.

12,965
Population
#2,285 of 3,222
$46,838
Median Income
-37.7% #2,901 of 3,222
42.4 years
Median Age
+9.0% #1,370 of 3,222
22.0%
Poverty Rate
+74.8% #2,842 of 3,222

Demographics

Lewis County has a population of 12,965, making it the #2,285 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

99.3%
Native Born
0.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Lewis County is $46,838, ranking #2,901 out of 3,222 counties — 37.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 22.0% and unemployment stands at 6.0%.

Income#2,901
$46,838
-37.7%
vs nation
10th percentile
Per Capita#2,877
$26,242
-36.4%
vs nation
11th percentile
Poverty#2,842
22.0%
+74.8%
vs nation
12th percentile
Unemployment#2,546
6.0%
+13.9%
vs nation
21th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Lewis County is $96,000 (-65.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $751/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.2%.

Home Value#3,048
$96,000
-65.9%
vs nation
5th percentile
Rent#2,471
$751
-35.4%
vs nation
23th percentile
Homeownership#768
79.2%
+22.9%
vs nation
76th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Lewis County, 15.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 54.7% below the national average, ranking #2,774 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.3% −54.7% vs nation
Rank #2,774 of 3,222
14th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Lewis County is 70.0 years. 28.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,864
70.0
-6.8%
vs nation
7th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,032
28.9%
+47.7%
vs nation
4th percentile
Diabetes#2,812
14.1%
+26.7%
vs nation
11th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,909
42.9%
+15.0%
vs nation
8th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,705
6.3
+11.3%
vs nation
14th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,112
6.1
+35.9%
vs nation
1th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,028
7.6%
-27.8%
vs nation
67th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,899
34.1%
+29.3%
vs nation
8th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,038
21.2%
+47.2%
vs nation
3th percentile

Substance Use

26.3% of adults in Lewis County smoke , 46.3% are obese , and 13.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 63.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#3,076
26.3%
+46.5%
vs nation
2th percentile
Adult Obesity#3,081
46.3%
+22.1%
vs nation
2th percentile
Excessive Drinking#58
13.9%
-30.0%
vs nation
98th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,991
63.8
+97.2%
vs nation
6th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 25.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 40.0 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,118
25.7
+30.1%
vs nation
17th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,253
16.7
-6.4%
vs nation
49th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,705
40.0
+97.5%
vs nation
4th percentile

Families & Children

29.4% of children in Lewis County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 38.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,757
38.0
+74.1%
vs nation
8th percentile
Child Poverty#2,817
29.4%
+54.8%
vs nation
10th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Lewis County is 56.9%. The mean commute time is 38.5 min, which is 39.3% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
56.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
38.5 min +39.3% vs nation
Rank #104 of 3,222
97th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Lewis County voted Republican with a margin of 75.7%. The vote was 11.6% Dem / 87.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +75.7%
11.6% 87.3%
Dem 5,721 votes Rep
2020 REP +70.8%
14% 84.8%
Dem 5,883 votes Rep
2016 REP +67.6%
14.8% 82.4%
Dem 5,293 votes Rep
2012 REP +41.6%
28.1% 69.7%
Dem 4,769 votes Rep
2008 REP +35.6%
31.5% 67.1%
Dem 4,791 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Lewis County, Kentucky

Lewis County, Kentucky has a total population of 12,965, making it the 2,285th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lewis County is 42.4 years, which is 9.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Lewis County is $46,838, which ranks #2,901 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 37.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 22.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.0%.

The median home value in Lewis County is $96,000, 65.9% below the national median. Renters in Lewis County pay a median gross rent of $751 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Lewis County, 15.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 38.5 min.

Lewis County is a community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 96.9% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (1.9%).

All data for Lewis 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.