Carlisle County, Kentucky Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Carlisle County is located in Kentucky with a total population of 4,762. It is the 117th most populous county out of 120 in Kentucky. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Carlisle County is 43.8 years. This is 12% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Carlisle County is $62,439. This is 2% lower than the state median of $63,726. It is also 23% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 15.1%. This is 6% lower than the state poverty rate of 16.1%. The unemployment rate is 3.7%. This is 24% lower than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $120,400. Housing costs are 41% lower than the state median of $205,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.9x, Carlisle County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 80.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 18% higher than the state average of 68.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Carlisle County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.2%. The Black or African American population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 7.5%. The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 1.6%.

Education

14.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 46% 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 91.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Carlisle 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.