Population 6,476 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Downtown Lexington: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Downtown Lexington
Household size in Downtown Lexington
| Period | Downtown Lexington | Lexington | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.60 | 2.34 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.70 | 2.40 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.63 | 2.44 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.65 | 2.36 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | +0.02 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Downtown Lexington is a place of small households, averaging 1.65 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has crept up from 1.60 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Downtown Lexington has the smallest households of any Lexington neighborhood.
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 Downtown Lexington
| Period | Downtown Lexington | Lexington | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.1 | 35.3 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.6 | 36.2 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.1 | 36.5 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.2 | 36.6 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.1 | +1.3 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
At 41.2, the median age in Downtown Lexington is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in Lexington as a whole, where the median age is 36.6. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 40.1, as it has nationally.
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 Downtown Lexington
| Period | Downtown Lexington | Lexington | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 11.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 11.6% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 11.3% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 10.2% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | −1.6 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Downtown Lexington than nationally: 9.7%, against 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of Lexington. The single-parent share is up 2.1 points from 2006–10, 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 Downtown Lexington
Renters in Downtown Lexington
| Period | Downtown Lexington | Lexington | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.2% | 43.0% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 76.3% | 45.0% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 75.0% | 45.5% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 73.9% | 46.1% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | +3.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Downtown Lexington: 73.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. More than four in ten owners (42.9%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 4.4 points since 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 Downtown Lexington
| Period | Downtown Lexington | Lexington | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.3% | 10.1% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 9.8% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 9.0% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 8.7% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.3 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Downtown Lexington than nationally: 8.0%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Lexington as a whole looks much the same. Vacancy has fallen 8.3 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Downtown Lexington
| Period | Downtown Lexington | Lexington | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1949 | 1979 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1980 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1961 | 1980 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1959 | 1982 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +3 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Downtown Lexington is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1959, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1949 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the west, while the east 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 Downtown Lexington
| Period | Downtown Lexington | Lexington | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $502 | $824 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $582 | $896 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $686 | $1,024 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $875 | $1,309 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$374 | +$486 | +$367 | +$606 |
The median renter in Downtown Lexington pays $875 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $374 a month from 2006–10, a 75% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 32.2% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the northwest.
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 Downtown Lexington
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown Lexington
| Period | Downtown Lexington | Lexington | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.1% | 39.8% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 45.4% | 40.9% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 56.3% | 43.7% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 56.0% | 47.5% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.9 pts | +7.7 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Downtown Lexington is highly educated: nearly six in ten adults 25 and older (56.0%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 9.9 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the center.
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 Downtown Lexington
| Period | Downtown Lexington | Lexington | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.5% | 88.6% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.6% | 89.6% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.0% | 90.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.0% | 92.3% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +3.7 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Downtown Lexington is a bit above the national rate: 92.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Lexington. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 6.5 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 Downtown Lexington
| Period | Downtown Lexington | Lexington | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 6.3% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 7.9% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 5.1% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 5.6% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | −0.7 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Downtown Lexington runs well above the national rate: 8.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Unemployment has risen 2.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. 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).
Downtown Lexington compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Lexington | 1.65 | 41.2 | 9.7% | 73.9% | 8.0% | 1959 | $875 | 56.0% | 92.0% | 8.6% |
| Duncan Park | 2.10 | 35.0 | 14.9% | 61.1% | 19.0% | 1952 | $850 | 38.0% | 85.6% | 6.9% |
| Mount Vernon-Hollywood-Montclair | 2.81 | 21.5 | 5.4% | 67.8% | 36.7% | 1946 | $1,282 | 53.9% | 99.2% | 18.6% |
| University of Kentucky | 3.05 | 20.5 | 7.5% | 76.3% | 41.6% | 1946 | $1,245 | 45.4% | 99.7% | 25.8% |
| Virginia Ave | 1.91 | 22.8 | 9.3% | 97.1% | 10.5% | 1992 | $1,081 | 52.3% | 92.7% | 5.6% |
| Fairway-Liberty Heights | 2.04 | 37.4 | 8.4% | 37.1% | 5.9% | 1955 | $938 | 54.4% | 93.7% | 3.3% |
| Chevy Chase-Ashland Park | 2.02 | 45.2 | 1.5% | 40.3% | 8.1% | 1955 | $1,175 | 76.2% | 98.6% | 5.2% |
| Castlewood Park | 2.36 | 40.3 | 6.9% | 46.6% | 10.4% | 1952 | $1,013 | 23.5% | 77.6% | 4.9% |
| Cardinal Hill-Pine Meadow | 2.30 | 24.3 | 22.2% | 87.2% | 6.6% | 1989 | $1,310 | 34.4% | 88.8% | 12.4% |
| Southland Deerfield Open Gates | 2.15 | 37.9 | 4.4% | 35.8% | 5.6% | 1960 | $1,413 | 61.0% | 97.4% | 2.8% |
| Kenawood-Rockwood | 2.17 | 43.3 | 8.5% | 33.1% | 8.8% | 1967 | $1,034 | 26.0% | 90.8% | 2.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Bandini, Commerce, CA · Willowcreek, Sacramento, CA · Waltherson, Baltimore, MD · Tradition, Port St. Lucie, FL · Timmerman West, Milwaukee, WI · Southwest, San Antonio, TX · Sandtown-Winchester, Baltimore, MD · La Sierra Hills, Riverside, CA · Downtown Charlotte, Charlotte, NC · Cazenovia Park, Buffalo, NY
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 Downtown Lexington. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.