Population 7,421 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Central City
Household size in Central City
| Period | Central City | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.34 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.56 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.74 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Central City are small: just 2.36 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. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.9 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.2 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.9 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.6 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.3 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
At 40.6, the median age in Central City is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 41.9, even as the national median rose.
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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.1% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +9.6 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Central City: 17.1% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 9.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Of the 146 Kentucky cities with 5,000+ people, only eight have a higher 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 Central City
Renters in Central City
| Period | Central City | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.9% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.5% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.1% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.1% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Central City rent their homes (33.1%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Just over half of owners (52.8%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 8.1 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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.6% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.0% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Central City than nationally: 13.0%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1966 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Central City run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1966 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Central City has older homes than the great majority of Kentucky cities.
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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $493 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $488 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $590 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $674 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$181 | +$367 | +$606 |
The median renter in Central City pays $674 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $181 a month since 2006–10, up 37%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 24.1% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the west and lowest in the north.
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 Central City
Bachelor's degrees in Central City
| Period | Central City | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.3% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.1% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.1% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Central City have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 6.1%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is down 4.8 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose. No other Kentucky city with 5,000+ people has a lower share of college graduates.
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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.9% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.5% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.8% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.3% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.4 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Central City never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 6.4 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 Central City
| Period | Central City | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Central City runs well above the national rate: 10.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Of the 146 Kentucky cities with 5,000+ people, only two have higher unemployment. Unemployment is up 5.0 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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).
Central City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central City | 2.36 | 40.6 | 17.1% | 33.1% | 13.0% | 1975 | $674 | 6.1% | 84.3% | 10.3% |
| Wells | 2.09 | 45.7 | 11.5% | 33.4% | 12.8% | 1977 | $715 | 3.0% | 70.9% | 11.9% |
| South Carrollton | 2.42 | 41.8 | 3.4% | 17.1% | 24.8% | 1978 | $811 | 7.5% | 88.3% | 17.0% |
| Nelson | 2.25 | 52.1 | 6.9% | 24.7% | 17.9% | 1978 | $679 | 4.6% | 59.0% | 5.0% |
| Gishton | 2.69 | 39.4 | 11.6% | 11.7% | 4.7% | 1986 | $744 | 8.1% | 80.3% | 2.5% |
| Cleaton | 2.25 | 52.1 | 6.9% | 24.7% | 17.9% | 1978 | $679 | 4.6% | 59.0% | 5.0% |
| Hillside | 2.63 | 44.5 | 10.5% | 16.3% | 30.9% | 1980 | $625 | 10.5% | 81.9% | 3.0% |
| Powderly | 2.60 | 45.9 | 9.6% | 16.0% | 28.0% | 1979 | $620 | 11.8% | 80.9% | 3.2% |
| Moorman | 2.46 | 41.1 | 4.1% | 16.7% | 21.1% | 1978 | $816 | 9.0% | 89.3% | 14.2% |
| Martwick | 2.25 | 52.1 | 6.9% | 24.7% | 17.9% | 1978 | $679 | 4.6% | 59.0% | 5.0% |
| Bremen | 2.45 | 43.9 | 8.9% | 10.7% | 3.9% | 1984 | $710 | 7.4% | 83.5% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Park Rapids, MN · Mount Carmel, IL · Nashville, AR · Old Fig Garden, CA · Old Greenwich, CT · Old Lyme, CT · Oscoda, MI · Ottawa, OH · Pahokee, FL · Palm Beach, FL
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 Central City. 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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