Muhlenberg County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21177 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Muhlenberg County has a population of 30,591 residents and a median age of 43.2 years, making it the #1,461 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.4%. The median home value is $127,400, and the median household income is $51,927, which is 31% below the national median.

30,591
Population
#1,461 of 3,222
$51,927
Median Income
-30.9% #2,662 of 3,222
43.2 years
Median Age
+11.1% #1,154 of 3,222
18.4%
Poverty Rate
+45.8% #2,509 of 3,222

Demographics

Muhlenberg County has a population of 30,591, making it the #1,461 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.2 years, which is 11.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.2%
Native Born
1.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Muhlenberg County is $51,927, ranking #2,662 out of 3,222 counties — 30.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.4% and unemployment stands at 5.6%.

Income#2,662
$51,927
-30.9%
vs nation
17th percentile
Per Capita#2,325
$30,585
-25.9%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poverty#2,509
18.4%
+45.8%
vs nation
22th percentile
Unemployment#2,374
5.6%
+6.5%
vs nation
26th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Muhlenberg County is $127,400 (-54.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $718/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.8%.

Home Value#2,542
$127,400
-54.8%
vs nation
21th percentile
Rent#2,653
$718
-38.3%
vs nation
17th percentile
Homeownership#822
78.8%
+22.3%
vs nation
75th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Muhlenberg County, 14.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 56.5% below the national average, ranking #2,865 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.7% −56.5% vs nation
Rank #2,865 of 3,222
11th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Muhlenberg County is 72.9 years. 23.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,266
72.9
-3.0%
vs nation
26th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,463
23.3%
+19.1%
vs nation
22th percentile
Diabetes#2,329
12.5%
+12.3%
vs nation
26th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,910
42.9%
+15.0%
vs nation
7th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,529
5.6
-0.4%
vs nation
51th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,792
5.3
+18.7%
vs nation
11th percentile
Uninsured Rate#773
6.9%
-34.3%
vs nation
75th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,785
27.0%
+2.3%
vs nation
43th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,474
17.1%
+18.7%
vs nation
21th percentile

Substance Use

21.8% of adults in Muhlenberg County smoke , 41.4% are obese , and 14.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 18.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,668
21.8%
+21.4%
vs nation
15th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,472
41.4%
+9.2%
vs nation
21th percentile
Excessive Drinking#149
14.8%
-25.5%
vs nation
95th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#468
18.6
-42.6%
vs nation
78th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Muhlenberg County is 4.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 19.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 28.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#550
4.6
-42.4%
vs nation
64th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,492
19.5
-1.0%
vs nation
42th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,613
19.6
+9.7%
vs nation
35th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,302
28.4
+40.2%
vs nation
18th percentile

Families & Children

25.4% of children in Muhlenberg County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 43.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,880
43.6
+99.8%
vs nation
4th percentile
Child Poverty#2,534
25.4%
+33.7%
vs nation
19th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Muhlenberg County is 58.8%. The mean commute time is 29.5 min, which is 7.0% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
58.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
29.5 min +7.0% vs nation
Rank #963 of 3,222
70th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Muhlenberg County voted Republican with a margin of 54.3%. The vote was 22.3% Dem / 76.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +54.3%
22.3% 76.6%
Dem 13,691 votes Rep
2020 REP +48.8%
24.9% 73.7%
Dem 14,235 votes Rep
2016 REP +46.9%
25.1% 72%
Dem 13,046 votes Rep
2012 REP +23.4%
37.5% 60.9%
Dem 12,737 votes Rep
2008 REP +1.7%
48.3% 50%
Dem 12,889 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Muhlenberg County, Kentucky

Muhlenberg County, Kentucky has a total population of 30,591, making it the 1,461st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Muhlenberg County is 43.2 years, which is 11.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Muhlenberg County is $51,927, which ranks #2,662 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 30.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.6%.

The median home value in Muhlenberg County is $127,400, 54.8% below the national median. Renters in Muhlenberg County pay a median gross rent of $718 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Muhlenberg County, 14.7% 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 95.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.5 min.

Muhlenberg County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.9% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.0%).

All data for Muhlenberg 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.