Population 119,184 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bowling Green
Household size in Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.46 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.52 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Bowling Green run a little small, averaging 2.56 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.48, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the east.
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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.4 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.8 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.6 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.4 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.0 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
Bowling Green is young: half of its residents are under 34.4, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Only eight of the 146 Kentucky cities with 5,000+ people are younger.
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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Bowling Green (11.9%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.2 points, even as the national share fell.
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 Bowling Green
Renters in Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.0% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 44.7% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.6% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 47.4% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Bowling Green than nationally: 47.4% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. About four in ten owners (40.0%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share is up 6.4 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 146 Kentucky cities with 5,000+ people, only six have a higher share of renters.
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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Bowling Green as nationally: 8.1%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in Kentucky as a whole (10.6%). Vacancy is down 1.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1991 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Bowling Green is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1991, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1982 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, 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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $708 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $802 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $883 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,092 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$384 | +$367 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Bowling Green costs $1,092 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in Kentucky as a whole ($1,024). Rents are up $384 a month from 2006–10, a 54% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 31.5% of household income on rent, just over 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 Bowling Green
Bachelor's degrees in Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.5% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.9% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.3% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.6% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Bowling Green than nationally: 31.6% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Even so, the share is higher than in Kentucky overall (27.6%). The share with a degree is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than 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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.1% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.9% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.6% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.5% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in seven adults in Bowling Green 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 2.4 points, as it has nationally.
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 Bowling Green
| Period | Bowling Green | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Bowling Green runs below the national rate: 4.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 3.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
Bowling Green compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | 2.56 | 34.4 | 11.9% | 47.4% | 8.1% | 1991 | $1,092 | 31.6% | 86.5% | 4.4% |
| Plum Springs | 2.46 | 34.3 | 4.3% | 26.5% | 3.8% | 2002 | $1,178 | 29.4% | 88.2% | 1.6% |
| Alvaton | 2.72 | 39.9 | 7.5% | 20.7% | 7.7% | 1998 | $966 | 38.2% | 94.1% | 3.9% |
| Rich Pond | 3.07 | 36.5 | 14.1% | 24.0% | 7.3% | 1984 | $939 | 29.3% | 91.2% | 0.8% |
| Rockfield | 2.62 | 41.4 | 7.5% | 21.0% | 7.7% | 1991 | $902 | 27.5% | 90.6% | 1.7% |
| Girkin | 3.09 | 33.0 | 12.3% | 14.3% | 22.3% | 1992 | $933 | 24.4% | 89.7% | 10.4% |
| Matlock | 2.98 | 38.4 | 13.2% | 20.1% | 8.5% | 1983 | $902 | 32.2% | 93.8% | 1.3% |
| Motley | 2.58 | 53.1 | 2.9% | 10.6% | 6.0% | 1995 | $571 | 30.1% | 94.1% | 1.8% |
| Boyce | 2.76 | 43.4 | 6.5% | 16.0% | 6.0% | 1986 | $976 | 33.8% | 96.6% | 6.9% |
| Petros | 2.95 | 39.8 | 6.4% | 30.2% | 5.2% | 1988 | $978 | 30.4% | 88.1% | 3.9% |
| Sunnyside | 2.86 | 39.0 | 9.2% | 15.4% | 11.7% | 1987 | $1,069 | 24.7% | 88.1% | 6.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cleveland, OH · Cicero, IL · Chino, CA · Columbia, MD · Cheyenne, WY · Chicago, IL · Conway, AR · Chesapeake, VA · College Station, TX · Chico, CA
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 Bowling Green. 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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