Rockcastle County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Rockcastle County has a population of 16,163 residents and a median age of 42.8 years, making it the #2,091 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 25.6%. The median home value is $123,600, and the median household income is $48,862, which is 35% below the national median.
Demographics
Rockcastle County has a population of 16,163, making it the #2,091 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.8 years, which is 10.0% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Rockcastle County is $48,862, ranking #2,836 out of 3,222 counties — 35.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 25.6% and unemployment stands at 4.6%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Rockcastle County is $123,600 (-56.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $676/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.3%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Rockcastle County, 13.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 59.2% below the national average, ranking #2,960 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Rockcastle County is 69.2 years. 28.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
26.0% of adults in Rockcastle County smoke , 40.5% are obese , and 14.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 65.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 28.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.7 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
26.0% of children in Rockcastle County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 26.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Rockcastle County is 59.4%. The mean commute time is 29.6 min, which is 7.4% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Rockcastle County voted Republican with a margin of 73.1%. The vote was 12.8% Dem / 85.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Rockcastle County, Kentucky
Rockcastle County, Kentucky has a total population of 16,163, making it the 2,091st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Rockcastle County is 42.8 years, which is 10.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Rockcastle County is $48,862, which ranks #2,836 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 35.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 25.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.6%.
The median home value in Rockcastle County is $123,600, 56.2% below the national median. Renters in Rockcastle County pay a median gross rent of $676 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Rockcastle County, 13.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 59.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.6 min.
Rockcastle County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 95.3% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.3%).
All data for Rockcastle 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.