Population 26,341 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Carter County
Household size in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.53 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.76 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.39 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.13 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Carter County are small: just 2.39 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.53 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.7 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.3 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.2 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Carter County is 42.2 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.0, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the northeast, the oldest in the south.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.3% of households in Carter County, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 2.2 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of Kentucky's 120 counties, only three have a lower share of single-parent households.
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 Carter County
Renters in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.1% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.5% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.6% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.0% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 20.0% of households in Carter County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly six in ten owners (58.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the northeast and least common in the northwest. The renter share is down 2.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.1% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.1% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Carter County than nationally: 11.5%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has fallen 2.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Carter County are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1985, versus 1980 across the U.S. The median year built has moved up from 1978 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the south has the oldest housing.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $520 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $552 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $599 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $713 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$193 | +$367 | +$606 |
The median renter in Carter County pays $713 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $193 a month since 2006–10, up 37%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 34.6% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southwest; the highest are in the center.
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 Carter County
Bachelor's degrees in Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Carter County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.5%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.1 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the east.
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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.9% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.1% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.5% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.8% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +10.9 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Carter County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 10.9 points since 2006–10, 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 Carter County
| Period | Carter County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.7%, unemployment in Carter County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 2.7 points since 2006–10, 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).
Carter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County | 2.39 | 42.2 | 7.3% | 20.0% | 11.5% | 1985 | $713 | 15.5% | 83.8% | 5.7% |
| Boyd County | 2.40 | 43.5 | 14.6% | 29.8% | 12.2% | 1972 | $844 | 20.2% | 90.1% | 6.4% |
| Wayne County | 2.48 | 44.5 | 10.8% | 21.4% | 14.8% | 1975 | $1,005 | 18.8% | 87.2% | 4.9% |
| Fleming County | 2.63 | 41.2 | 12.5% | 25.2% | 13.1% | 1984 | $680 | 18.8% | 84.2% | 7.5% |
| Cabell County | 2.29 | 40.9 | 9.9% | 35.8% | 14.6% | 1970 | $964 | 33.4% | 90.7% | 5.5% |
| Lincoln County | 2.64 | 44.8 | 10.9% | 25.5% | 19.8% | 1983 | $808 | 9.3% | 81.9% | 5.9% |
| Nicholas County | 2.77 | 41.0 | 9.7% | 25.5% | 16.2% | 1973 | $710 | 9.6% | 87.3% | 6.8% |
| Putnam County | 2.48 | 42.0 | 7.9% | 18.2% | 7.9% | 1987 | $960 | 29.6% | 93.9% | 3.1% |
| Bourbon County | 2.54 | 42.0 | 11.2% | 36.3% | 10.2% | 1977 | $846 | 26.3% | 87.5% | 4.3% |
| Harrison County | 2.65 | 42.7 | 12.5% | 28.6% | 12.4% | 1981 | $762 | 21.7% | 90.5% | 3.0% |
| Kanawha County | 2.35 | 44.2 | 11.4% | 28.9% | 16.1% | 1967 | $973 | 30.8% | 91.7% | 5.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Stutsman County, ND · Starke County, IN · Hancock County, WV · Hancock County, IL · Hampton County, SC · Stephens County, GA · Stoddard County, MO · Guayanilla Municipio, PR · Stone County, MO · Greene County, NC
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 Carter 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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