Mason County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21161 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Mason County has a population of 16,956 residents and a median age of 42.5 years, making it the #2,039 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.8%. The median home value is $161,500, and the median household income is $52,178, which is 31% below the national median.

16,956
Population
#2,039 of 3,222
$52,178
Median Income
-30.6% #2,652 of 3,222
42.5 years
Median Age
+9.3% #1,343 of 3,222
18.8%
Poverty Rate
+49.3% #2,549 of 3,222

Demographics

Mason County has a population of 16,956, making it the #2,039 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.5 years, which is 9.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.5%
Native Born
1.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Mason County is $52,178, ranking #2,652 out of 3,222 counties — 30.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.8% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.

Income#2,652
$52,178
-30.6%
vs nation
18th percentile
Per Capita#2,229
$31,189
-24.4%
vs nation
31th percentile
Poverty#2,549
18.8%
+49.3%
vs nation
21th percentile
Unemployment#1,955
4.9%
-7.4%
vs nation
39th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Mason County is $161,500 (-42.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $727/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.1%.

Home Value#1,996
$161,500
-42.7%
vs nation
38th percentile
Rent#2,603
$727
-37.5%
vs nation
19th percentile
Homeownership#2,660
66.1%
+2.6%
vs nation
17th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Mason County, 20.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 40.8% below the national average, ranking #2,007 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
20.0% −40.8% vs nation
Rank #2,007 of 3,222
38th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Mason County is 72.2 years. 24.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,444
72.2
-3.9%
vs nation
20th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,657
24.5%
+25.2%
vs nation
16th percentile
Diabetes#2,202
12.2%
+9.6%
vs nation
30th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3,005
43.9%
+17.7%
vs nation
4th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#676
5.2
-8.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,280
4.8
+8.8%
vs nation
28th percentile
Uninsured Rate#937
7.3%
-30.1%
vs nation
70th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,102
28.5%
+8.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,365
16.7%
+15.9%
vs nation
25th percentile

Substance Use

22.5% of adults in Mason County smoke , 40.0% are obese , and 15.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 47.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,767
22.5%
+25.3%
vs nation
12th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,055
40.0%
+5.5%
vs nation
35th percentile
Excessive Drinking#266
15.5%
-22.2%
vs nation
92th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,769
47.1
+45.8%
vs nation
16th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 14.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.7 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#721
14.8
-24.8%
vs nation
72th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#563
11.8
-34.3%
vs nation
77th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,189
16.7
-17.3%
vs nation
58th percentile

Families & Children

20.9% of children in Mason County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 30.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,387
30.9
+41.4%
vs nation
20th percentile
Child Poverty#2,031
20.9%
+10.0%
vs nation
35th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Mason County is 61.1%. The mean commute time is 28.3 min, which is 2.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
61.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.3 min +2.5% vs nation
Rank #1,203 of 3,222
63th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Mason County voted Republican with a margin of 43.7%. The vote was 27.5% Dem / 71.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +43.7%
27.5% 71.2%
Dem 7,898 votes Rep
2020 REP +39.1%
29.7% 68.8%
Dem 7,958 votes Rep
2016 REP +41.3%
27.3% 68.6%
Dem 7,212 votes Rep
2012 REP +23.3%
37.7% 61%
Dem 6,879 votes Rep
2008 REP +17.0%
40.6% 57.6%
Dem 7,121 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Mason County, Kentucky

Mason County, Kentucky has a total population of 16,956, making it the 2,039th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Mason County is 42.5 years, which is 9.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Mason County is $52,178, which ranks #2,652 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 30.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.

The median home value in Mason County is $161,500, 42.7% below the national median. Renters in Mason County pay a median gross rent of $727 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Mason County, 20.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.3 min.

Mason County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.9% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).

All data for Mason 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.