Rowan County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Rowan County has a population of 24,578 residents and a median age of 31.7 years, making it the #1,677 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 24.2%. The median home value is $161,800, and the median household income is $54,321, which is 28% below the national median.
Demographics
Rowan County has a population of 24,578, making it the #1,677 most populous county in the US. The median age is 31.7 years, which is 18.5% below 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 Rowan County is $54,321, ranking #2,516 out of 3,222 counties — 27.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 24.2% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Rowan County is $161,800 (-42.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $825/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Rowan County, 25.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 23.1% below the national average, ranking #1,119 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Rowan County is 71.8 years. 24.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
20.8% of adults in Rowan County smoke , 41.5% are obese , and 15.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 78.5 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 11.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 20.4 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
23.2% of children in Rowan County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 14.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Rowan County is 51.7%. The mean commute time is 26.2 min, which is 5.2% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Rowan County voted Republican with a margin of 27.7%. The vote was 35.3% Dem / 63% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.6 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Rowan County, Kentucky
Rowan County, Kentucky has a total population of 24,578, making it the 1,677th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Rowan County is 31.7 years, which is 18.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Rowan County is $54,321, which ranks #2,516 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 27.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 24.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.
The median home value in Rowan County is $161,800, 42.6% below the national median. Renters in Rowan County pay a median gross rent of $825 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Rowan County, 25.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 23.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.2 min.
Rowan 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 (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
All data for Rowan 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.