Happy, KY Demographics

Population 1,189 · Census ACS 2020–24

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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Happy, KY map of median age by neighborhood
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Population and households in Happy

Household size in Happy

Household size, people per household
PeriodHappyKentuckyU.S.
2006–103.192.512.68
2010–142.572.532.73
2015–192.382.522.71
2020–242.212.512.65
Change−0.98−0.00−0.03
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Households in Happy are small: just 2.21 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 3.19 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.

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 Happy

Median age, years
PeriodHappyKentuckyU.S.
2006–1034.938.537.7
2010–1436.939.338.6
2015–1938.040.039.6
2020–2445.539.940.1
Change+10.6+1.5+2.3
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With a median age of 45.5, Happy is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.

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 Happy

Single-parent households, % of households
PeriodHappyKentuckyU.S.
2006–1019.0%11.7%12.3%
2010–1415.8%11.9%12.3%
2015–1911.9%11.8%11.6%
2020–244.2%11.9%11.6%
Change−14.8 pts+0.2 pts−0.6 pts
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Single-parent households are relatively rare in Happy: 4.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally.

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 Happy

Renters in Happy

Renters, % of occupied homes
PeriodHappyKentuckyU.S.
2006–1020.9%30.1%33.3%
2010–1427.0%32.3%35.6%
2015–1925.9%32.8%36.0%
2020–2414.5%31.7%34.8%
Change−6.3 pts+1.5 pts+1.5 pts
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Only 14.5% of households in Happy rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About seven in ten owners (69.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.

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 Happy

Vacant homes, % of all homes
PeriodHappyKentuckyU.S.
2006–1010.4%12.2%11.4%
2010–1411.6%11.9%11.4%
2015–1913.5%12.3%11.1%
2020–2415.1%10.6%9.6%
Change+4.7 pts−1.6 pts−1.8 pts
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Vacancy is high in Happy: 15.1% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.

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 Happy

Age of homes, median year built
PeriodHappyKentuckyU.S.
2006–10198219771974
2010–14198819791975
2015–19198119801977
2020–24198719821980
Change+5+5+6
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Homes in Happy are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1987, versus 1980 across the U.S.

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 Happy

Rent, per month
PeriodHappyKentuckyU.S.
2006–10$394$657$965
2010–14$663$728$1,040
2015–19$638$814$1,213
2020–24$475$1,024$1,571
Change+$81+$367+$606
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A typical rental in Happy costs $475 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 35.6% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.

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 Happy

Bachelor's degrees in Happy

Bachelor's degrees, % of adults 25+
PeriodHappyKentuckyU.S.
2006–105.5%21.3%28.4%
2010–147.1%22.5%29.6%
2015–196.2%24.5%32.1%
2020–2426.4%27.6%35.6%
Change+20.9 pts+6.2 pts+7.2 pts
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Just over a quarter of adults 25 and older in Happy (26.4%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. That is in line with the rest of Kentucky.

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 Happy

High school graduates, % of adults 25+
PeriodHappyKentuckyU.S.
2006–1055.7%81.7%84.9%
2010–1465.7%83.9%86.1%
2015–1964.0%86.4%87.7%
2020–2485.4%88.8%89.3%
Change+29.7 pts+7.2 pts+4.3 pts
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About one in seven adults in Happy never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.

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 Happy

Unemployment, % of the labor force
PeriodHappyKentuckyU.S.
2006–1021.4%8.4%8.1%
2010–1414.2%9.5%9.4%
2015–1920.7%5.8%5.6%
2020–244.0%5.1%5.4%
Change−17.4 pts−3.3 pts−2.7 pts
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Jobs have been easier to find in Happy than nationally: unemployment was 4.0%, against 5.4%. 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).

Happy compared with nearby cities

CityHousehold sizeMedian ageSingle parentsRentersVacant homesMedian year builtMedian rentBachelor's degreeHigh school diplomaUnemployment
Happy2.2145.54.2%14.5%15.1%1987$47526.4%85.4%4.0%
Jeff2.4243.727.0%24.0%26.0%1981$86010.3%83.8%7.8%
Vicco2.3647.66.8%22.1%18.8%1983$68827.4%80.4%9.6%
Sassafras3.1637.58.8%28.1%22.4%1984$92546.8%76.5%2.1%
Viper2.2649.819.3%19.3%23.7%1981$9368.8%87.7%13.0%
Fourseam2.9734.920.6%47.7%11.4%1976$91011.9%85.0%15.2%
Ulvah2.7640.92.9%20.2%20.1%1988$9310.8%76.5%11.7%
Cornettsville2.7143.74.1%22.0%16.6%1978$7716.5%80.0%16.4%
Blackey2.9244.11.8%22.2%6.2%1963$45915.7%83.8%18.9%
Hazard2.4240.617.2%39.6%18.0%1980$77016.3%77.9%4.2%
Redfox2.6647.610.0%41.4%23.8%1977$80818.1%77.5%4.2%

All figures 2020–24.

Cities with similar populations: Seaboard, NC · Pejepscot, ME · Philo, CA · Prospect Hill, NC · Ridgeville Corners, OH · Rockledge, PA · Rodell, WI · Rowesville, SC · Saxman, AK · Offerman, GA

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 Happy. 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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