Population 44,938 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Barren County
Household size in Barren County
| Period | Barren County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.46 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.57 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.52 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Barren County run a little small, averaging 2.52 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.46, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southeast.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Barren County
| Period | Barren County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.3 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.1 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.7 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.5 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.1 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Barren County are younger than 40.5 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the northeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Barren County
| Period | Barren County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.7% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in six households in Barren County (15.7%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 4.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Few Kentucky counties have a higher share of single-parent households: only four of 120.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Barren County
Renters in Barren County
| Period | Barren County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.7% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.8% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.3% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.8% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Barren County rent their homes (34.8%), the same as the national share. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Kentucky overall (31.7%). More than four in ten owners (44.8%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 5.1 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Barren County
| Period | Barren County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.3% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.3% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.8% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Barren County as nationally: 10.8%, against 9.6%. Vacancy is down 1.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Barren County
| Period | Barren County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Barren County is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1985, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1980 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Barren County
| Period | Barren County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $567 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $625 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $673 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $815 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$247 | +$367 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Barren County costs $815 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $247 a month since 2006–10, up 44%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.5% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Barren County
Bachelor's degrees in Barren County
| Period | Barren County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.5% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.3% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.5% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Barren County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.5%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Barren County
| Period | Barren County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.0% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.7% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.7% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.5% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.6 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in seven adults in Barren County never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 9.6 points, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Barren County
| Period | Barren County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Barren County than nationally: unemployment was 3.9%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.5 points, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Barren County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barren County | 2.52 | 40.5 | 15.7% | 34.8% | 10.8% | 1985 | $815 | 18.5% | 86.5% | 3.9% |
| Metcalfe County | 2.56 | 42.4 | 9.6% | 22.3% | 14.3% | 1988 | $599 | 12.8% | 88.6% | 5.1% |
| Warren County | 2.58 | 35.2 | 11.5% | 44.4% | 8.3% | 1991 | $1,076 | 31.2% | 87.4% | 4.3% |
| Russell County | 2.41 | 41.6 | 15.3% | 29.2% | 19.0% | 1989 | $667 | 15.1% | 82.2% | 6.2% |
| Logan County | 2.55 | 41.8 | 7.5% | 25.7% | 12.8% | 1978 | $798 | 16.5% | 86.5% | 5.6% |
| Wayne County | 2.43 | 43.3 | 10.7% | 30.9% | 16.8% | 1982 | $736 | 14.6% | 81.1% | 5.3% |
| Todd County | 2.73 | 37.5 | 9.3% | 24.0% | 12.2% | 1985 | $834 | 17.8% | 81.6% | 3.7% |
| Pulaski County | 2.50 | 42.8 | 11.8% | 27.5% | 15.7% | 1985 | $840 | 18.3% | 86.0% | 5.0% |
| Christian County | 2.80 | 33.0 | 14.3% | 50.0% | 14.6% | 1985 | $1,067 | 18.2% | 88.1% | 7.1% |
| Whitley County | 2.65 | 35.4 | 15.1% | 33.2% | 14.1% | 1987 | $797 | 20.5% | 84.8% | 6.1% |
| Laurel County | 2.65 | 40.7 | 13.0% | 28.4% | 11.1% | 1991 | $832 | 17.2% | 84.4% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Latah County, ID · Shenandoah County, VA · Santa Cruz County, AZ · Rio Arriba County, NM · Bryan County, GA · Pasquotank County, NC · Nye County, NV · Cabo Rojo Municipio, PR · Calaveras County, CA · Calumet County, WI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Barren County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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