Spencer County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21215 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Spencer County has a population of 20,193 residents and a median age of 42.9 years, making it the #1,867 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.8%. The median home value is $330,000, and the median household income is $102,618, which is 37% above the national median.

20,193
Population
#1,867 of 3,222
$102,618
Median Income
+36.6% #150 of 3,222
42.9 years
Median Age
+10.3% #1,238 of 3,222
9.8%
Poverty Rate
-21.9% #759 of 3,222

Demographics

Spencer County has a population of 20,193, making it the #1,867 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.9 years, which is 10.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.3%
Native Born
0.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Spencer County is $102,618, ranking #150 out of 3,222 counties — 36.6% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.8% and unemployment stands at 5.0%.

Income#150
$102,618
+36.6%
vs nation
95th percentile
Per Capita#524
$43,368
+5.1%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poverty#759
9.8%
-21.9%
vs nation
76th percentile
Unemployment#1,989
5.0%
-6.3%
vs nation
38th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Spencer County is $330,000 (+17.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $987/mo and the homeownership rate is 87.9%.

Home Value#492
$330,000
+17.1%
vs nation
85th percentile
Rent#1,040
$987
-15.1%
vs nation
68th percentile
Homeownership#34
87.9%
+36.6%
vs nation
99th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Spencer County, 23.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 30.0% below the national average, ranking #1,417 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
23.6% −30.0% vs nation
Rank #1,417 of 3,222
56th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Spencer County is 76.2 years. 20.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,199
76.2
+1.4%
vs nation
61th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,871
20.2%
+3.3%
vs nation
41th percentile
Diabetes#1,572
10.8%
-3.0%
vs nation
50th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,350
40.2%
+7.8%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#451
5.0
-11.2%
vs nation
86th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,370
4.3
-3.1%
vs nation
56th percentile
Uninsured Rate#266
5.4%
-48.5%
vs nation
92th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,339
25.0%
-5.2%
vs nation
57th percentile
Food Insecurity#580
11.2%
-22.3%
vs nation
82th percentile

Substance Use

19.1% of adults in Spencer County smoke , 36.9% are obese , and 16.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 25.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,013
19.1%
+6.4%
vs nation
36th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,128
36.9%
-2.7%
vs nation
64th percentile
Excessive Drinking#544
16.9%
-15.1%
vs nation
83th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#901
25.1
-22.3%
vs nation
57th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 22.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.1 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,829
22.2
+12.7%
vs nation
29th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,699
20.4
+14.4%
vs nation
31th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#836
14.1
-30.3%
vs nation
70th percentile

Families & Children

7.9% of children in Spencer County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 14.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#821
14.2
-34.8%
vs nation
73th percentile
Child Poverty#139
7.9%
-58.4%
vs nation
96th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Spencer County is 78.6%. The mean commute time is 36.2 min, which is 31.2% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
78.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
36.2 min +31.2% vs nation
Rank #204 of 3,222
94th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Spencer County voted Republican with a margin of 56.8%. The vote was 21% Dem / 77.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +56.8%
21% 77.8%
Dem 11,479 votes Rep
2020 REP +54.3%
22.1% 76.4%
Dem 11,433 votes Rep
2016 REP +55.5%
20.2% 75.7%
Dem 9,509 votes Rep
2012 REP +37.7%
30.2% 67.9%
Dem 8,431 votes Rep
2008 REP +35.5%
31.3% 66.8%
Dem 8,049 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Spencer County, Kentucky

Spencer County, Kentucky has a total population of 20,193, making it the 1,867th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Spencer County is 42.9 years, which is 10.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Spencer County is $102,618, which ranks #150 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 36.6% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.8%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.0%.

The median home value in Spencer County is $330,000, 17.1% above the national median. Renters in Spencer County pay a median gross rent of $987 per month. The homeownership rate is 87.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Spencer County, 23.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 30.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 36.2 min.

Spencer County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.7%).

All data for Spencer 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.