Population 16,217 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Morehead
Household size in Morehead
| Period | Morehead | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.40 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.35 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.30 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Morehead is a place of small households, averaging 2.30 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.40 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the south.
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 Morehead
| Period | Morehead | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.1 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.3 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.7 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.2 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.2 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
Morehead is young: half of its residents are under 32.2, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Of the 146 Kentucky cities with 5,000+ people, only four 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 Morehead
| Period | Morehead | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.9% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Morehead than nationally: 12.9%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 1.4 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 Morehead
Renters in Morehead
| Period | Morehead | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.0% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 36.2% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.6% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.6% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Morehead than nationally: 38.6% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Nearly half of owners (46.8%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 6.6 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 Morehead
| Period | Morehead | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.1% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.6% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 17.0% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Morehead than nationally: 12.7%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.4 points, 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 Morehead
| Period | Morehead | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Morehead is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1988, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1979 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 Morehead
| Period | Morehead | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $505 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $634 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $705 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $774 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$270 | +$367 | +$606 |
Rent in Morehead runs $774 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $270 a month since 2006–10, up 53%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northwest; 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 Morehead
Bachelor's degrees in Morehead
| Period | Morehead | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.6% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.9% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.6% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.6% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Morehead (28.6%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. That is in line with the rest of Kentucky. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the southeast.
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 Morehead
| Period | Morehead | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.1% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.7% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.0% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.9% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Morehead never finished high school, well above the national share: only 83.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 4.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Morehead has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Kentucky cities.
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 Morehead
| Period | Morehead | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Morehead than nationally: unemployment was 7.1%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged up 0.9 points, 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).
Morehead 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morehead | 2.30 | 32.2 | 12.9% | 38.6% | 12.7% | 1988 | $774 | 28.6% | 83.9% | 7.1% |
| Lakeview Heights | 2.29 | 39.9 | 16.6% | 41.3% | 6.3% | 1990 | $796 | 29.9% | 90.1% | 0.8% |
| Christy | 2.02 | 25.7 | 28.3% | 73.1% | 26.5% | 1995 | $1,063 | 6.1% | 84.6% | 1.8% |
| Cranston | 2.21 | 32.8 | 11.7% | 52.2% | 11.6% | 1999 | $822 | 55.5% | 89.2% | 0.8% |
| Clearfield | 1.96 | 35.4 | 15.8% | 52.1% | 14.6% | 1991 | $980 | 15.4% | 81.3% | 1.5% |
| Farmers | 2.72 | 35.8 | 8.3% | 0.0% | 5.2% | 1998 | $595 | 41.1% | 92.9% | 10.2% |
| Elliottville | 2.44 | 40.2 | 17.1% | 26.1% | 16.0% | 1991 | $925 | 10.6% | 89.5% | 6.0% |
| Brinegar | 2.65 | 31.9 | 18.7% | 15.4% | 14.7% | 1988 | $612 | 11.2% | 76.2% | 9.3% |
| Hillsboro | 2.74 | 49.0 | 13.3% | 16.1% | 8.3% | 1992 | $794 | 15.7% | 84.2% | 6.4% |
| Plummers Mill | 2.71 | 43.1 | 13.6% | 10.8% | 18.7% | 1984 | $803 | 23.2% | 86.5% | 8.8% |
| Salt Lick | 2.51 | 44.1 | 15.1% | 14.5% | 23.3% | 1984 | $752 | 12.7% | 81.2% | 3.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lemay, MO · Pell City, AL · Parole, MD · Paris, TN · Ozark, AL · Othello, WA · Olean, NY · Oak Grove, OR · Mitchell, SD · Manassas Park, VA
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 Morehead. 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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