Adair County, Kentucky Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Adair County is located in Kentucky with a total population of 19,089. It is the 64th most populous county out of 120 in Kentucky. The county encompasses 1 Census-designated place.

Age Demographics

The median age in Adair County is 39.7 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Adair County is $53,553. This is 16% lower than the state median of $63,726. It is also 34% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 18.4%. This is 15% higher than the state poverty rate of 16.1%. The unemployment rate is 6.8%. This is 40% higher than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $150,800. Housing costs are 27% lower than the state median of $205,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.8x, Adair County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 77.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% higher than the state average of 68.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Adair County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.4% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.5%. The Black or African American population (2.1%) is well below the state average of 7.5%. The Asian population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 1.6%.

Education

21.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 21% lower than the state rate of 27.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 84.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Adair County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Kentucky and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.