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What are the fastest-growing counties in Kentucky?

Warren County (+10.6%), Allen County (+9.5%) and Madison County (+9.3%) grew fastest in Kentucky between 2020 and 2025.

Kentucky as a whole grew 2.2% between 2020 and 2025, to 4,606,864 residents.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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All 120 Kentucky counties ranked

Kentucky counties by population growth
RankCountyResidents 2025Change 2020–25Net migration per 1,000, 2025New homes per 1,000, 2025
1Warren County149,375+10.6%8.09.7
2Allen County22,536+9.5%17.60.8
3Madison County101,696+9.3%17.88.0
4Scott County62,262+8.2%4.06.3
5Jessamine County57,147+7.7%5.59.0
6Spencer County20,998+7.7%13.74.0
7Garrard County18,207+7.3%16.90.0
8Robertson County2,325+6.6%−2.6–
9Boone County145,316+6.5%5.35.2
10Shelby County51,243+6.2%7.95.2
11Simpson County20,788+5.9%18.219.0
12Todd County12,972+5.6%10.63.1
13Anderson County25,225+5.5%7.75.8
14Nicholas County7,949+5.4%22.50.4
15Lyon County9,123+5.2%12.30.5
16Breckinridge County21,503+5.2%11.20.7
17Edmonson County12,749+5.0%8.3–
18Morgan County14,415+5.0%11.00.1
19Bullitt County86,454+5.0%7.47.6
20Harrison County19,627+4.9%10.33.5
21Calloway County39,421+4.9%13.20.5
22Oldham County70,986+4.8%2.53.9
23Nelson County49,036+4.8%4.74.5
24Henry County16,447+4.8%15.74.1
25Mercer County23,733+4.8%12.95.6
26Menifee County6,430+4.8%20.7–
27Grant County26,181+4.7%14.44.2
28Green County11,644+4.6%11.40.3
29Fleming County15,787+4.6%7.00.0
30Lincoln County25,353+4.6%11.03.5
31Hart County20,117+4.3%9.913.5
32Logan County28,669+4.2%8.82.4
33Kenton County175,779+3.8%1.43.9
34Woodford County27,883+3.7%3.03.4
35Bath County13,176+3.6%16.40.0
36Grayson County27,406+3.6%6.71.3
37Pulaski County67,384+3.5%8.81.9
38Russell County18,608+3.4%3.60.3
39Trigg County14,512+3.1%4.30.0
40Taylor County26,763+2.9%−2.50.3
41Metcalfe County10,583+2.9%7.6–
42Carroll County11,141+2.9%0.40.1
43Boyle County31,632+2.9%11.33.0
44Adair County19,423+2.8%9.10.3
45Trimble County8,701+2.8%5.1–
46Jackson County13,325+2.7%6.20.0
47Washington County12,368+2.7%4.12.1
48Marion County20,115+2.7%3.02.8
49Owen County11,601+2.6%13.01.5
50Barren County45,641+2.5%4.34.5
51Montgomery County28,822+2.5%0.21.8
52Campbell County95,441+2.5%11.51.9
53Hardin County113,482+2.4%4.13.8
54Clark County37,888+2.3%8.14.4
55Cumberland County5,992+2.3%−1.20.0
56Meade County30,699+2.2%5.75.4
57Fayette County329,751+2.2%−4.23.2
58Larue County15,184+2.0%3.43.9
59Franklin County52,649+2.0%6.61.8
60Gallatin County8,840+1.9%8.15.8
61Casey County16,205+1.8%9.40.1
62McCreary County17,124+1.7%13.70.0
63Whitley County37,297+1.6%1.31.4
64Butler County12,520+1.6%3.00.0
65Laurel County63,746+1.6%9.40.3
66Jefferson County795,222+1.6%−9.93.8
67Daviess County104,898+1.5%1.72.4
68Graves County37,050+1.4%6.92.2
69Bracken County8,511+1.3%8.2–
70Pendleton County14,800+1.1%1.50.0
71Ohio County23,934+0.8%3.00.1
72Rockcastle County16,148+0.6%2.6–
73Wayne County19,597+0.3%7.3–
74Livingston County8,863−0.1%6.0–
75Marshall County31,659−0.1%6.42.7
76Caldwell County12,609−0.3%4.40.0
77Bourbon County20,243−0.3%−2.55.4
78Hopkins County45,127−0.5%3.54.5
79McCracken County67,553−0.5%−1.12.5
80Hancock County9,050−0.6%3.61.7
81Webster County12,929−0.7%0.60.4
82McLean County9,064−0.8%2.80.2
83Muhlenberg County30,634−0.9%4.60.2
84Lee County7,297−0.9%8.9–
85Elliott County7,265−0.9%2.3–
86Henderson County44,255−0.9%−3.42.5
87Boyd County47,751−1.0%1.20.3
88Rowan County24,476−1.0%−1.10.3
89Clinton County9,139−1.0%−0.70.0
90Monroe County11,191−1.1%7.5–
91Mason County16,936−1.2%4.11.5
92Carlisle County4,747−1.2%0.6–
93Estill County13,962−1.4%8.90.0
94Lewis County12,901−1.4%2.10.0
95Ballard County7,594−1.5%3.2–
96Carter County26,149−1.7%4.20.1
97Greenup County35,213−1.9%4.90.6
98Crittenden County8,807−2.2%−16.80.1
99Knox County29,532−2.2%−0.60.0
100Powell County12,812−2.2%1.40.4
101Owsley County3,932−2.5%11.4–
102Johnson County22,051−2.6%0.9–
103Lawrence County15,765−3.3%4.1–
104Hickman County4,372−3.4%8.2–
105Christian County70,115−3.6%−26.12.5
106Floyd County34,401−3.9%0.60.1
107Wolfe County6,298−4.0%9.1–
108Clay County19,465−4.2%0.40.0
109Magoffin County11,110−4.3%−1.3–
110Fulton County6,218−4.5%1.41.1
111Bell County22,829−4.8%1.91.8
112Martin County10,697−4.9%8.7–
113Union County12,839−5.9%−18.30.0
114Knott County13,321−5.9%−2.0–
115Pike County54,721−6.4%−4.50.3
116Perry County26,555−6.4%−4.80.0
117Letcher County19,952−7.0%−5.70.1
118Harlan County24,725−7.6%−4.80.0
119Leslie County9,627−8.1%−5.4–
120Breathitt County12,558−8.3%−7.50.1

Ranked by the change in Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025.

Statewide totals

More county rankings for Kentucky

Metro areas

Fastest-growing metro areas in Kentucky · Fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S. · Largest metro areas in Kentucky

Every U.S. metro and micro area

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Questions

Is Kentucky growing?

Kentucky as a whole grew 2.2% between 2020 and 2025, to 4,606,864 residents. Statewide figures add up its counties.

What is the fastest-growing county in Kentucky?

Warren County, which grew 10.6% between 2020 and 2025 to 149,375 residents (Census Bureau population estimates). Allen County (+9.5%) and Madison County (+9.3%) came next.

Which Kentucky counties are losing population?

47 of the 120 ranked counties had fewer residents in 2025 than in 2020. The steepest declines: Breathitt County (−8.3%), Leslie County (−8.1%), Harlan County (−7.6%).

Where are people moving in Kentucky?

For their size, Nicholas County (22.5 per 1,000 residents), Menifee County (20.7 per 1,000 residents) and Simpson County (18.2 per 1,000 residents) drew the most net domestic migration (people moving in from other U.S. counties minus people moving out) in 2025.

Fastest-growing counties in other states

Across the U.S.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.