Population 20,193 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Spencer County
Household size in Spencer County
| Period | Spencer County | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.71 | 2.51 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.76 | 2.55 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.75 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.82 | 2.50 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.11 | −0.01 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Spencer County holds 2.82 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.71, even as the national average fell. Only two of Kentucky's 120 counties have larger households.
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 Spencer County
| Period | Spencer County | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.8 | 38.5 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.0 | 39.4 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.9 | 40.0 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.1 | 40.2 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +1.7 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
Spencer County skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.1, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.8, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northwest.
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 Spencer County
| Period | Spencer County | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 12.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 12.6% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.5% | 11.6% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 12.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | −0.2 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Spencer County as they are nationally: 12.0%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 4.9 points, 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 Spencer County
Renters in Spencer County
| Period | Spencer County | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 30.5% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.9% | 32.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 32.5% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 31.1% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +0.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 12.1% of households in Spencer County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 27.3% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northwest. Only one other Kentucky county has a lower share of renters.
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 Spencer County
| Period | Spencer County | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 9.8% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 9.8% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 9.8% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 7.9% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Spencer County: just 5.5% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 2.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only one other Kentucky county has a lower vacancy rate.
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 Spencer County
| Period | Spencer County | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1992 | 1975 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1996 | 1976 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1995 | 1976 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1999 | 1980 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Spencer County is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1999, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1992 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the center. Spencer County has the newest homes of any Kentucky county.
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 Spencer County
| Period | Spencer County | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $713 | $769 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $682 | $826 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $666 | $928 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $974 | $1,200 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$261 | +$431 | +$367 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Spencer County costs $974 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $261 a month since 2006–10, up 37%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 26.9% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the southwest.
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 Spencer County
Bachelor's degrees in Spencer County
| Period | Spencer County | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.9% | 24.9% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.7% | 26.7% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.3% | 29.0% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.7% | 32.8% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +7.9 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Spencer County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.7%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 6.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the east.
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 Spencer County
| Period | Spencer County | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.5% | 86.4% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.3% | 87.8% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.6% | 90.1% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.6% | 91.1% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.1 pts | +4.7 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Spencer County is above the national rate: 92.6% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 9.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of Kentucky's 120 counties, only eight have a higher share of high school graduates.
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 Spencer County
| Period | Spencer County | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 9.1% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 5.2% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 4.8% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Spencer County is close to the national rate: 5.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.6 points, as it has nationally. 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).
Spencer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer County | 2.82 | 42.1 | 12.0% | 12.1% | 5.5% | 1999 | $974 | 23.7% | 92.6% | 5.0% |
| Bullitt County | 2.68 | 42.4 | 12.4% | 15.1% | 6.1% | 1993 | $1,057 | 20.3% | 90.3% | 4.0% |
| Anderson County | 2.55 | 42.8 | 9.4% | 22.4% | 6.8% | 1985 | $889 | 26.2% | 90.5% | 2.5% |
| Franklin County | 2.26 | 41.7 | 12.3% | 35.5% | 6.8% | 1978 | $1,015 | 30.9% | 92.5% | 5.8% |
| Woodford County | 2.49 | 42.2 | 11.2% | 28.3% | 8.7% | 1985 | $1,129 | 40.3% | 90.7% | 2.6% |
| Meade County | 2.77 | 40.5 | 10.4% | 25.9% | 10.5% | 1990 | $997 | 20.2% | 91.0% | 5.8% |
| Fayette County | 2.36 | 36.6 | 10.2% | 46.2% | 8.7% | 1982 | $1,309 | 47.5% | 92.3% | 5.6% |
| Clark County | 2.51 | 41.1 | 11.9% | 29.3% | 8.9% | 1980 | $959 | 22.5% | 88.8% | 4.7% |
| Perry County | 2.33 | 42.3 | 8.1% | 24.5% | 10.0% | 1976 | $745 | 16.4% | 91.8% | 4.2% |
| Montgomery County | 2.58 | 39.9 | 9.7% | 31.7% | 11.6% | 1984 | $869 | 21.0% | 86.5% | 4.0% |
| Bath County | 2.76 | 39.6 | 11.0% | 25.3% | 13.4% | 1986 | $592 | 12.2% | 82.1% | 2.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Custer County, NE · Smith County, TN · Smith County, MS · Simpson County, MS · Simpson County, KY · De Soto Parish, LA · Dawson County, NE · Davison County, SD · Dallas County, MO · Dakota County, NE
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 Spencer 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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