Pendleton County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21191 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Pendleton County has a population of 14,723 residents and a median age of 42.3 years, making it the #2,176 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.9%. The median home value is $159,800, and the median household income is $64,669, which is 14% below the national median.

14,723
Population
#2,176 of 3,222
$64,669
Median Income
-13.9% #1,656 of 3,222
42.3 years
Median Age
+8.7% #1,407 of 3,222
15.9%
Poverty Rate
+26.3% #2,106 of 3,222

Demographics

Pendleton County has a population of 14,723, making it the #2,176 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.9%
Native Born
1.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Pendleton County is $64,669, ranking #1,656 out of 3,222 counties — 13.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.9% and unemployment stands at 4.5%.

Income#1,656
$64,669
-13.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Per Capita#2,250
$31,070
-24.7%
vs nation
30th percentile
Poverty#2,106
15.9%
+26.3%
vs nation
35th percentile
Unemployment#1,677
4.5%
-14.9%
vs nation
48th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Pendleton County is $159,800 (-43.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $793/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.7%.

Home Value#2,028
$159,800
-43.3%
vs nation
37th percentile
Rent#2,158
$793
-31.8%
vs nation
33th percentile
Homeownership#1,587
74.7%
+15.9%
vs nation
51th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Pendleton County, 15.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 54.4% below the national average, ranking #2,759 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.4% −54.4% vs nation
Rank #2,759 of 3,222
14th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Pendleton County is 72.1 years. 22.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,479
72.1
-4.1%
vs nation
19th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,408
22.9%
+17.1%
vs nation
23th percentile
Diabetes#2,154
12.1%
+8.7%
vs nation
32th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,897
42.8%
+14.7%
vs nation
8th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,092
5.4
-3.9%
vs nation
65th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,354
4.9
+9.9%
vs nation
25th percentile
Uninsured Rate#734
6.8%
-35.2%
vs nation
77th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,933
27.7%
+5.0%
vs nation
39th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,215
16.2%
+12.5%
vs nation
30th percentile

Substance Use

21.1% of adults in Pendleton County smoke , 39.9% are obese , and 16.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 57.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,522
21.1%
+17.5%
vs nation
20th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,032
39.9%
+5.3%
vs nation
35th percentile
Excessive Drinking#428
16.3%
-17.9%
vs nation
86th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,917
57.0
+76.2%
vs nation
9th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 17.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.5 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,178
17.6
-10.7%
vs nation
54th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#816
13.7
-23.2%
vs nation
67th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,767
21.5
+6.4%
vs nation
37th percentile

Families & Children

17.5% of children in Pendleton County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 35.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,624
35.1
+60.5%
vs nation
13th percentile
Child Poverty#1,508
17.5%
-7.9%
vs nation
52th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Pendleton County is 62.0%. The mean commute time is 38.7 min, which is 40.4% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
62.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
38.7 min +40.4% vs nation
Rank #98 of 3,222
97th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Pendleton County voted Republican with a margin of 63.6%. The vote was 17.5% Dem / 81.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +63.6%
17.5% 81.1%
Dem 6,900 votes Rep
2020 REP +60.5%
19.1% 79.6%
Dem 6,925 votes Rep
2016 REP +57.3%
19.4% 76.7%
Dem 6,006 votes Rep
2012 REP +30.7%
33.6% 64.3%
Dem 5,534 votes Rep
2008 REP +28.5%
34.9% 63.4%
Dem 5,802 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Pendleton County, Kentucky

Pendleton County, Kentucky has a total population of 14,723, making it the 2,176th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Pendleton County is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Pendleton County is $64,669, which ranks #1,656 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 13.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.5%.

The median home value in Pendleton County is $159,800, 43.3% below the national median. Renters in Pendleton County pay a median gross rent of $793 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Pendleton County, 15.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 38.7 min.

Pendleton County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.3% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.6%).

All data for Pendleton 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.