Metcalfe County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21169 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Metcalfe County has a population of 10,425 residents and a median age of 42.0 years, making it the #2,456 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 27.5%. The median home value is $110,200, and the median household income is $51,473, which is 32% below the national median.

10,425
Population
#2,456 of 3,222
$51,473
Median Income
-31.5% #2,693 of 3,222
42.0 years
Median Age
+8.0% #1,486 of 3,222
27.5%
Poverty Rate
+118.3% #3,049 of 3,222

Demographics

Metcalfe County has a population of 10,425, making it the #2,456 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.7%
Native Born
1.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Metcalfe County is $51,473, ranking #2,693 out of 3,222 counties — 31.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 27.5% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.

Income#2,693
$51,473
-31.5%
vs nation
16th percentile
Per Capita#2,767
$27,314
-33.8%
vs nation
14th percentile
Poverty#3,049
27.5%
+118.3%
vs nation
5th percentile
Unemployment#1,957
4.9%
-7.3%
vs nation
39th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Metcalfe County is $110,200 (-60.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $582/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.7%.

Home Value#2,845
$110,200
-60.9%
vs nation
12th percentile
Rent#3,080
$582
-50.0%
vs nation
4th percentile
Homeownership#1,011
77.7%
+20.6%
vs nation
69th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Metcalfe County, 13.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 61.5% below the national average, ranking #3,029 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
13.0% −61.5% vs nation
Rank #3,029 of 3,222
6th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Metcalfe County is 71.8 years. 25.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,557
71.8
-4.5%
vs nation
17th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,807
25.7%
+31.4%
vs nation
11th percentile
Diabetes#2,371
12.6%
+13.2%
vs nation
25th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,714
41.7%
+11.8%
vs nation
14th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,107
5.9
+4.6%
vs nation
33th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,783
5.3
+18.4%
vs nation
12th percentile
Uninsured Rate#574
6.4%
-39.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,510
30.7%
+16.4%
vs nation
20th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,780
18.7%
+29.8%
vs nation
12th percentile

Substance Use

24.6% of adults in Metcalfe County smoke , 41.7% are obese , and 15.2% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,985
24.6%
+37.0%
vs nation
5th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,559
41.7%
+10.0%
vs nation
19th percentile
Excessive Drinking#220
15.2%
-23.3%
vs nation
93th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 26.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 25.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,179
26.6
+34.8%
vs nation
15th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,811
21.6
+21.0%
vs nation
27th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,115
25.4
+25.2%
vs nation
25th percentile

Families & Children

36.6% of children in Metcalfe County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 44.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,890
44.3
+102.9%
vs nation
4th percentile
Child Poverty#3,040
36.6%
+92.7%
vs nation
3th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Metcalfe County is 65.2%. The mean commute time is 27.6 min, which is 0.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
65.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.6 min +0.1% vs nation
Rank #1,343 of 3,222
58th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Metcalfe County voted Republican with a margin of 64.6%. The vote was 17.3% Dem / 81.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +64.6%
17.3% 81.9%
Dem 5,124 votes Rep
2020 REP +59.5%
19.5% 79%
Dem 5,012 votes Rep
2016 REP +54.5%
21.1% 75.6%
Dem 4,616 votes Rep
2012 REP +29.9%
34.1% 64%
Dem 4,184 votes Rep
2008 REP +32.9%
32.2% 65.1%
Dem 4,199 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Metcalfe County, Kentucky

Metcalfe County, Kentucky has a total population of 10,425, making it the 2,456th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Metcalfe County is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Metcalfe County is $51,473, which ranks #2,693 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 31.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 27.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.

The median home value in Metcalfe County is $110,200, 60.9% below the national median. Renters in Metcalfe County pay a median gross rent of $582 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Metcalfe County, 13.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 61.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.6 min.

Metcalfe County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (2.8%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (2.5%).

All data for Metcalfe 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.