Franklin County, Kentucky Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Franklin County is located in Kentucky with a total population of 51,842. It is the 19th most populous county out of 120 in Kentucky. The county encompasses 1 Census-designated place.

Age Demographics

The median age in Franklin County is 40.8 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 39.1 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Franklin County is $65,298. This is 2% higher than the state median of $63,726. It is also 19% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.6%. This is 15% lower than the state poverty rate of 16.1%. The unemployment rate is 5.9%. This is 21% higher than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $216,600. Housing costs are 5% higher than the state median of $205,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.3x. 64.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% lower than the state average of 68.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Franklin County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 80.5% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 9.2%.

Education

31.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 16% higher 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 92.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Franklin 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.