Population 16,163 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Rockcastle County
Household size in Rockcastle County
| Period | Rockcastle County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.45 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Rockcastle County run small, averaging 2.45 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has dropped from 2.58 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 Rockcastle County
| Period | Rockcastle County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.2 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.4 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.0 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.8 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.6 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
Rockcastle County skews older than the country: its median age is 43.8, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 40.2 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and 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 Rockcastle County
| Period | Rockcastle County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Rockcastle County (10.4%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 1.6 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 Rockcastle County
Renters in Rockcastle County
| Period | Rockcastle County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.3% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.5% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.8% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.7% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a quarter of households in Rockcastle County rent their homes (25.7%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 61.3% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southwest. The renter share is up 4.3 points from 2006–10, as it has 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 Rockcastle County
| Period | Rockcastle County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.8% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.4% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.8% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Rockcastle County: 11.8% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 3.2 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 Rockcastle County
| Period | Rockcastle County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1988 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Rockcastle County 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 1981 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the southeast 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 Rockcastle County
| Period | Rockcastle County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $523 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $549 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $651 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $703 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$180 | +$367 | +$606 |
Rent in Rockcastle County runs $703 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $180 a month from 2006–10, a 34% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.4% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the northeast.
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 Rockcastle County
Bachelor's degrees in Rockcastle County
| Period | Rockcastle County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Rockcastle County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.4%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 2.3 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the north.
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 Rockcastle County
| Period | Rockcastle County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.2% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.6% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.9% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 83.9% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +15.7 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Rockcastle County 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 15.7 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Rockcastle County
| Period | Rockcastle County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.3% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Rockcastle County is close to the national rate: 4.7% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 4.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Rockcastle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockcastle County | 2.45 | 43.8 | 10.4% | 25.7% | 11.8% | 1988 | $703 | 14.4% | 83.9% | 4.7% |
| Lincoln County | 2.54 | 41.2 | 14.4% | 23.6% | 11.3% | 1987 | $765 | 15.7% | 83.4% | 7.1% |
| Jackson County | 2.59 | 41.3 | 8.2% | 22.6% | 12.8% | 1991 | $788 | 9.5% | 76.2% | 4.4% |
| Casey County | 2.40 | 43.8 | 10.7% | 20.3% | 13.3% | 1984 | $655 | 12.4% | 79.8% | 8.6% |
| Owsley County | 2.51 | 47.4 | 8.9% | 29.9% | 23.4% | 1991 | $515 | 7.4% | 68.5% | 14.3% |
| Taylor County | 2.54 | 37.9 | 11.3% | 31.2% | 9.0% | 1982 | $745 | 22.1% | 87.8% | 6.2% |
| Perry County | 2.47 | 42.0 | 13.9% | 29.6% | 16.4% | 1984 | $786 | 14.7% | 80.1% | 5.1% |
| Green County | 2.56 | 43.8 | 13.1% | 22.4% | 16.9% | 1978 | $679 | 17.1% | 87.2% | 8.2% |
| Knott County | 2.49 | 43.8 | 12.8% | 27.3% | 17.9% | 1983 | $780 | 20.7% | 73.4% | 9.4% |
| Hart County | 2.72 | 40.6 | 10.6% | 27.6% | 16.6% | 1987 | $689 | 12.3% | 80.6% | 4.0% |
| Pike County | 2.33 | 42.5 | 9.4% | 24.7% | 15.4% | 1985 | $803 | 18.3% | 82.9% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Overton County, TN · Panola County, TX · Pamlico County, NC · Page County, VA · Page County, IA · Pacific County, WA · Owyhee County, ID · Owen County, KY · Owen County, IN · Park County, CO
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 Rockcastle 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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